Watch Custody For Free

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

I really liked this movie: Warning spoiler alert: However, I thought for sure this movie was a set up for a TV series or mini drama. A lot of unanswered questions at the ending. The judges colleague insinuates she is drinking to much and she leaves the Christmas party with a lonely haunting face. Did the public defender tell her father that her uncle touched her as a child or did the grandmother step up?

On the one hand, it is good to see Lifetime showcasing more quality material. Several years ago, a movie such as "Custody" would have been a rarity on Lifetime. On the other hand, this movie tried to do too much in an hour and three-quarters. There wasn't enough time to deal with the personal issues, so the legal issues got skimmed over lightly. Reviewer Da Rude makes some good points (although rather incoherent, unfortunately). The United States film industry is so fragmented right now. Too many people making ill-considered decisions that affect the quality of the final product. If "Custody" was conceived as the multi-part project which it should have been, the various themes and story lines could have been given the treatment they should have had. As it is, they weren't. Reviewer Da Rude, a resident of London, seems to have problems with US movies. Too bad, but he's right about this: The US film industry is going through a lot of turmoil right now. It has happened before, and the results have always been stronger output in the end. As far as "Custody" is concerned, Lifetime needs to be encouraged to press forward with the quality material, most particularly with quality actors such as Viola Davis. Having first-rate actors such as Ellen Burstyn, Patricia Kalember and Tony Shalhoub doing smaller roles needs to be seen in a positive light for TV movies. (The broadcast networks gave up on them years ago; reality shows and a LOT of American football have, sadly, pushed them aside.) "Custody" must be evaluated for the good direction it is taking. We need more such efforts.

I watched this, along with 2 other movies, this past week off the Lifetime Roku channel, and while the other 2 ("From Straight A's to XXX" and the Britney Spears one) were your usual laughable Lifetime fair, this one was actually pretty good. Viola Davis, who just won the "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar for "Fences", really steals the show here, showing how a judge's personal life can not only affect her attitude in the courtroom, but maybe even, to a certain extent, her sentencing? This had a really good ensemble cast for a Lifetime original; and I was sorta surprised, and maybe disappointed, that "Monk" himself, Tony Shalhoub, was kinda under-used in this?? Catalina Santino Maria (if I have that name right?), the star of "Maria Full of Grace", Dan Fogler (in a rare serious role, perhaps showcasing a future romantic leading man series of roles?), Hayden Paynettiere, etc.. co-star.

In the film, there are a huge amount of unresolved story lines you'd like to see more of. Be it how Sara is going to help her children heal after being separated from them, how Martha is going to deal with what is happening in her personal life, between her father, husband, and son and then Alexandra's mess. Considering how her grandmother talks about the family secret and her, Alexandra, threatening to tell her dad, the fact you don't get to see the conclusion of that story-line, you almost feel like this was a pilot that didn't get picked up. However, because there was so much shot for the show, and with Viola getting major accolade nominations, Lifetime decided to edit the footage they had into a movie.Luckily, for those who may be interested in a story like this, Shondaland is working on a legal drama which sounds oddly similar.