Crimes of Fashion: Killer Clutch movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Crimes of Fashion: Killer Clutch

This mystery/crime thriller is now available on the Hallmark Channel on the Peacock subscription service.

RATING: TV-PG (blood & some violence)

LENGTH: 2 hours

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about an American psychologist who is hired to coach a fashion designer. He helps a guarded French detective unravel a list of fashionable suspects after a murder happens backstage at a Paris fashion show.

The film was directed by Felipe Rodriguez. Writing credits go to Tom McCurrie and Stephanie Sourapas.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Some profanity like OMG
We see some blood at crime scenes
Violence with various weapons
We see some dead bodies

THEMES:

Fashion
Crime
Friendship
Loyalty
Greed
Revenge
Critical thinking skills

THINGS I LIKED:

What caught my attention about this film was the presence of Brooke D’Orsay. I thought she was absolutely adorable in the cute TV show “Drop Dead Diva” and am surprised that I haven’t seen her in more shows since then. I was excited to see what she could do in this film.
The majority of the movie is set in Paris, France, but it was actually filmed in Budapest. Only three of the cast members actually went to Paris to film: Brooke D’Orsay, Gilles Marini, and Paloma Coquant.
The title is cute and shows the movie has a sense of humor.
Do fashion psychologists actually exist? I thought it was completely made up for this movie so I looked it up and discovered it’s a real profession!
I liked the stress-relieving exercise that was done to prepare a designer for fashion week. The psychologist asked him to describe the worst-case scenario, then the best-case scenario, and then focus on the most-likely scenario. I liked that because it puts things into perspective.
I spent last year learning French on Duolingo to prepare for my trip to France, so it was fun trying to understand what all of the French characters were saying in the movie.
It’s fun to see all of the fashion.
The movie poster is cute.
I really like that Hallmark has been creating mysteries lately instead of just cheesy, formulaic romances.
This could easily become a series, as it opens the door to future possibilities and a romance. I like the two leads a lot and would welcome a sequel.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Some of the thick French accents are really hard to understand.
Considering the movie is about fashion, some of the outfits weren’t that impressive.
Some might complain that the film is too long. Some scenes could have easily been cut without sacrificing the story.
Not all of the humor lands.

FUNNY LINES:

None worth noting, although there are some humorous moments.

INTERESTING LINES:

“You go to New York to make a living. You come to Paris to be alive.” – Ari (David Bowles)
“You know what would be my greatest regret? What I didn’t do.” – Ari (David Bowles)