Review of Borderline

Borderline (2002 TV Movie)
6/10
Birds of a feather stick together
20 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
**SPOILERS** Losing custody of her two young daughters Susan & Rebecca, sisters in real life Natasha & Daniella Napoli, because of the hours she keeps and the people that she deals with prison psychiatrist Dr. Lila Coletti, Gina Gershon, is sent into a deep depression. Lila Unable to do her work, counseling and rehabilitating mentally derange and dangerous convicts, at the state penitentiary starts to feel lost and worthless.

The first evening the two girls are with their father and his fiancée Paul Coletti and Jenny Kemp,Nick Boranie & Carolyn Balogh, someone breaks into the house and brutally murders them yet leaving the two sisters alone and unhurt. Right away the suspicion of who killed Mr. Coletti and Jenny falls on Dr. Coletti. She had the most to gain by their death with her getting custody of her daughters and the Coletti estate, including the house, worth some two million dollars.

Were put right on to who may have been the possible double murder on two former prison inmates whom Dr. Coletti dealt with Ciro Ruiz, Jon Huentas, and Ed Brinkman, Sean Patrick Flanery. The two not only were given parole because Dr. Coletti positive evaluation of them before the prison review board but because they both seemed to have become very infatuated with her. To the point of willing, like Ciro told her, to commit murder in her behalf. As for Lila's part she turns out to be secretly in love with the police detective that's been put on her husbands and his girlfriends murder case Det. Macy Kobacek, Michael Biehn.

The movie leaves a number of baffling clues to both the police and audience that has to do with Lila's mental condition. Not just over her loss, to her husband Paul, of her two daughters but her own childhood where both she and her mom were abused by her deranged father. This childhood experience left Lila feeling that somehow he was killed by her or someone else in the family to put an end to their suffering. Ed Baikman whom we soon find out had the same kind of abusive childhood as Lila was put away for some twenty years after murdering both his parents. That's what seemed to have bonded him with Lila who was responsible for his overcoming his anger and inability to function in a free society.

Being a suspect in Paul & Jenny's murder becomes more evident when the recently released convict Ciro Ruiz who was seen with Lila, who lied about it to the police, the night of the murders is found dead of an overdose from shooting himself up with drugs that come from the prison pharmacy. Only Lila had access to to the drugs that killed Ruiz! Arrested for murder and put behind bars Lila is in the same prison where she worked at as the prison psychiatrist.

It's when Lila is arrested and put in prison when the movie gets really convoluted. First Lila isn't able to make bail, this for a double-murder?, and later is let out to find who really murdered Paul & Jenny! Were then lead to believe that their killer non-other then the weirdo Ed Baikman who seemed to worship the very ground that Lila walks on.

Ed mad at Lila because she turned down his advances goes to another psychiatrist Dr. Karen Kendler, Louise Barnes. This causes Lila to storm into Dr. Kendler's office and let her know in no uncertain terms what a mad and dangerous person her new patient is thus having her drop Ed from treatment.

The movie goes to it's totally unbelievable and mind twisting conclusion with Lila and Ed's unusual connection to Paul and Jenny's murders that takes us, the audience, into this never never land of madness and insanity. We have Lila's confused and by now flabbergasted boyfriend Det. Kobecek , who suddenly and unexpectedly pops up out of nowhere, only get it in the neck as Lila & Ed have it out with each other. This gives you the impression that both of them must have been cut with the same cookie cutter, out of the same dough, in how crazy and off-the-wall they both act.

The ending****MAJOR SPOILERS**** is a real shocker, if you can somehow figure it out. Lila & Ed, had this whole scenario planned right from the start and sucked the love-sick and clueless Det. Kobecek into it making him the fall guy to take the blame, posthumously, for the twin murders! Were also lead to believe that their, Lila & Ed, in some way also related in a photo that we see as the movie draws to a close.
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