We’re excited to have reviewed the upcoming movie “Murder in Mexico: The Bruce Beresford-Redman Story” which will premiere on the Lifetime Channel on Saturday, September 26th at 8 PM.

Many of the movies on Lifetime are based on true stories and are filled with drama, and almost all of them have been streamed on my television and yes, watched by me. For years, Lifetime movies have been my escape, especially when I don’t have time to read a book on a beach, which is where I’d rather be…

However, “Murder in Mexico: The Bruce Beresford-Redman Story” is not your ordinary Lifetime movie, it is smart, evokes thought and takes you on a ride of seeing both sides of the story that is being told…

If you haven’t watched Lifetime lately, you’re missing out. This year they added a new scripted drama, UnREAL, which was a huge hit with us as well. If this is the direction of where Lifetime is going, bringing higher caliber movies like “Murder in Mexico: The Bruce Beresford-Redman Story” to their viewers, their new Lifetime Movie Club subscription service should be a hit.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to share any spoilers, but I will give this director 5 stars for the way they told this story, the incredible talent of the actors telling the story and the cinematography of the movie. You won’t be disappointed! Set your DVR now, because like me, you’ll want to watch it again and have a conversation with friends about it.

Did He Do It?
If you live here in Southern California, the tragic story of the murder of Mónica Beresford-Redman in 2010 is one that stood out in the news as the husband had a high profile job in the entertainment industry and the wife owned a very popular local restaurant (down the street from my house). It is also one that is not easily forgotten as we drive by the restaurant almost daily and think about the husband, Bruce Beresford-Redman and his denial of committing this crime.

When we saw this on the news, the first thought was, the husband did it. Statistically speaking, 54% of murders are committed by someone known to the victim and according to the non-profit Violence Policy Center, 94% of female victims were murdered by a male they knew. But statistics are not facts and the circumstantial evidence that surround this murder were enough to send Bruce Beresford-Redman back to Mexico to face a trial, where he was eventually convicted in March 2015.

Telling the Story We were able to speak with the director, Mark Gantt, who is a multi-talented artist with a passion for story telling. He has over 50 credits as an actor in film and TV in addition to credits as a writer, producer and even as a driver on movie and TV sets. We think this experience gives him a unique edge as he explores this story and tells it in a very engaging way.

Question: What was it about this script that made you want to tell this story?

Mark Gantt: “I’m a huge fan of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, who masterfully tells non-linear stories like 21 Grams, Amores Peros and Babel. And like Kurosawa did with Rashomon, he was able to explore the complexities of a situation and different points of view of their truth. The writer, Ron McGee did a fantastic job of balancing the dramatic and truthful events of both present time (April 2010) in Mexico and the past (6 months before) exploring the relationship between Bruce, Monica and his mistress.”

Question: What do you think Mónica Beresford-Redman’s family will think about the way you tell this story?

Mark Gantt: “As a filmmaker, there is a certain creative freedom given to tell the story in a unique way. With this film based on something that really happened and so many unanswered questions, my goal was to investigate and dissect the events as they have been brought to light over the course of the investigation. I wanted to show the strength of Monica, her love and struggle to keep her family together and her constant forgiveness of Bruce. Conversely wanted to show both sides of Bruce, a loving father and husband and someone who was having an affair and the possibility of violence. We were all very aware that regardless of how we told the story, the inevitable truth still existed; there were two children that lost their mother and have also lost their father for another twelve years. It was something we were constantly hit with as we explored this story.”

Question: What was the most challenging aspect of shooting this film?

Mark Gantt: “It feels cliché to say ’time and money’ but I’d only say it was a challenge that we as a team tackled with creativity and a positive attitude. We were not in a position to shoot in Cancun, yet we were very fortunate with finding great locations and smart art direction, that I think helped to suspend reality and tell our story.”

Question: What was the best part of shooting this film?

Mark Gantt: “The best part of shooting this film was the incredible producers, cast and crew dedicated to make the best film we could. Each crew member was committed to bringing a truth and authenticity to each moment. Every single one of my actors really brought a vulnerability to their performances and strived to bring these complex characters to life. Colin Egglesfield brought a vulnerable performance capturing the duality of Bruce, while Leonor Varela and Brianne Davis brought an incredible strength to their roles. I couldn’t imagine anyone else my supporting cast as they all bared their souls for me and brought their A-game. My cinematographer, Andrew Russo and I wanted to make sure that the handheld camera work, would bring a life and urgency to the story, colorist Sebastian Perez-Burchard used color to differentiate between past and present and my composer Christian Davis helped to drive the story and evoke an emotional chord with the audience.”

“Murder in Mexico: The Bruce Beresford-Redman Story” premieres on the LIFETIME NETWORK – September 26, 2015 at 8 PM ET/PT