The Two Mr. Kissels (2008)

It is par for the course that the convicted murderer gets demonised and her victim whitewashed, but I presume there was a lot more to their relationship than the movie portrayed. According to Nancy, both brothers were on Cocaine.As far as I could make out, the film was shot cheaply with mostly fixed indoor shots and stage backdrops. Not only did the film crew not even bother to visit Hong Kong (stock footage was apparently used) they didn't research what it is like to live in Hong Kong either.So as someone who does live here, let me put the record straight. Yes, Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 but it has a separate jurisdiction rather like the US Virgin Islands. We do not use the Chinese currency - as displayed on Kissel's desk when he came home from work - we use the Hong Kong Dollar. Hong Kong is NOT an endless collection of Skyscapers like Manhanttan - its more like New York, with distinct suburbs. The Kissels lived in an airy apartment with sweeping views of mountains and sea.The producer obviously got his impression of Hong Kong jail cells from Mexican B movies. Totally wrong. There is no graffiti in Hong Kong cells - they are closer in comfort and design to Marine Corps boot camp blocks than anything else. Prison guards (a lot nicer than drill pigs) assigned to look after foreigners can speak English. As in the States, prisoners are given work assignments and recreation time to keep the them busy - they don't just rot away. The prison where she is located is in one of the most scenic areas of Hong Kong - but I don't know what her view is like.Oh - and all the lawyers were British - that must have confused a few. This bit is somewhat correct (there are also Chinese lawyers). Hong Kong was formerly a British Colony and UK citizens were permitted by the handover agreement to stay on in their jobs until retirement. In addition, the legal system remains British in character (Common law like the US) - not Chinese.The logo behind the judge is a ridiculous imitation of the Hong Kong Government Device - looks more like BP's logo.So I'm afraid I just couldn't look past the ignorance of the film makers and enjoy the movie.

Lifetime Television's "The Two Mr. Kissels," based on the true story of two murdered brothers, stars John Stamos as Andrew Kissel, Anson Mount as Robert Kissel, and Robin Tunney as Robert's wife, Nancy. Somehow, a fascinating story was rendered fairly uninteresting by the script. With better writing, this might have been a compelling, old-fashioned two-parter, as there is certainly enough material out there.The Kissel brothers were wealthy and seemingly successful young men - Robert was a brilliant businessman whose career had an upward trajectory. Unfortunately, he married a narcissistic money-grubber (Tunney) who falls for a cable guy (in real life a stereo repairman) and decides she's better off with all of the cash and no husband. Andrew could have been a successful entrepreneur, but he needed to come up to par with his brother and make a big splash. He becomes a cocaine-addicted, womanizing con artist, married to a successful woman who truly loves him and turns a blind eye to his shady deals and late nights.The murders of both men are handled well, but one never gets a strong sense of the relationship between the two brothers or any handle on the character of Robert. John Stamos does a good job with the material, but the best role in the film belongs to Robin Tunney as Nancy. She's excellent. It's really the only fleshed out part in the film.There was a good deal more that went on in this real-life saga, including in court. In the end, I felt that the script let down what should have been a fascinating story.

The film rapidly goes down in quality despite the interesting subject matter and some very good acting here.The story again relates to the time old adage that money is the root of all evil.The Kissel Brothers seemed to have had in made with their propensity for making money. Their lives took a turbulent path because of their financial success.Robert was the better of the two; of course, being a work-a-holic, it cost him his marriage and ultimately his life. His wife Nancy is brilliantly played by an up and coming actress. How she thought that she could get away with killing him is beyond belief.Andrew, on the other hand, who is played quite well by John Stamos, was hell-bent on a path of self-destruction. Embezzling from his own co-op building and others, he was destined to meet his end in the way he did.The individual flashbacks by those within the brothers orbit doesn't work well here. In fact, it makes the film uneven and disjointed at times.Nonetheless, this is an interesting film to view again due to the subject matter.

I hope there will be another Kissel movie out there. I read two books about the Kissel Brothers. I felt that Robin Tunney gave the best performance as unhinged Nancy Kissel. You hated her one minute and felt sorry for her in the next minute. She felt like property than a wife. It is true that her father-in-law looked down upon his daughter-in-law from day one. The two hour film which is really only 90 minutes plus a few couldn't unfold the events that led to the downfalls of both Kissel brothers. Robert Kissel was the good brother who succeeded in the financial world and even landed a job in Hong Kong but was troubled by an unstable wife. Andrew Kissel played by John Stamos is the only other standout performance in the film. He is both troubled and devious in deceiving his investors of the actual losses. Their spouses aren't as memorable as Nancy and Andrew. Maybe they should have gotten together in the first place but it would be a deadly combination. Sadly, since it is based on the true Kissel story. I felt that there wasn't enough details but only hints of Nancy and Andrew's falls.The film comes across as disjointed with people like Hayley, Andrew's wife, and his driver giving a statements along with other Hong Kong wives who were expatriates whose husbands and never came home to the Parkview complex. Nancy's crimes were brought on by a combination of things and a culmination of despair and utter desperation. Nancy was tired of being Robert's wife. Robert tried to buy her happiness but nothing worked. She was miserable in Hong Kong and the only light was a cable guy in New England. The Kissels' sister spoke about maybe if she didn't meet the cable guy or that there were too many maybes. The tragedy of the Kissel family is well-documented in books. I felt sorry for both Nancy and Andrew who longed for happiness, love, and acceptance. Nancy felt out of place with her in-laws easily.