User Reviews

"I'm your teacher. There is nothing more between us". There is "more" I need to say about the flick I'm about to review. How about another 200+ words.

Anyway, Secret Life of A Student is my latest write-up. And its title, well it doesn't have much to do with the movie. "Secret Life" is about a female high school teacher who is getting it from all angles. Someone in a sleek car is trying to harass her, her student claims he had an affair with her therefore threatening her job, and social media deviants are posting stuff about her that is well, inappropriate. The high school teacher I'm talking about is Lauren Beeches and she is played by Canadian actress Rhonda Dent. Dent gives a solid performance in the lead role. There's a certain rawness and vulnerability to it.

Secret Life of A Student is directed by sometimes producer Jason James. James fashions "Secret Life" as a slow burn where you anxiously wait for the big reveal. So OK, who is driving by Lauren's house and giving her the creeps? Why doesn't the dean of students believe that Lauren is an upstanding teacher who doesn't rob the cradle in her spare time? And who killed Lauren's bestie at the beginning act leaving Lauren to care for said bestie's young daughter? These questions get answered at the two-hour mark (with commercials added). "Secret Life", well it has the ability to leave the viewer tedium-bound and enthralled all at the same time.

Basically "Secret Life" is a Lifetime endeavor posing as veritable whodunit. The acting is sometimes hammy, the whiff of the film is sometimes campy, the red herrings are ready-made, and there's the final twist where the antagonist goes completely cray cray (the way she says "sweet baby angel" is borderline theatrical). I've seen better Lifetime-rs but I've also seen worse. A secret "life" less ordinary.

In "Secret Life of a Student" (aka, "A Lethal Lesson"), there is a major tussle over the adoption of an orphan. After both her parents were murdered, little Phoebe is adopted by Lauren Beeches, the best friend of the deceased mom Chloe. Now, the race is on to separate little Phoebe from Lauren by a nefarious villain. Who will ultimately gain custody of the character referred to as "my sweet baby angel"?

The filmmakers juggled two narrative strands. First, it is clear that someone wants Lauren out of the picture in order to get Phoebe in their clutches. Second, Lauren is framed at her place of employment, Grant High School, for fraternizing with a student.

The two actions were brought together due to the machinations of a deranged and clever villain. While there was not much suspense in figuring out the identity of the perp, interest was sustained due to the strong character development, especially that of the protagonist Lauren.

Ms. Beeches was a character of considerable stature. Despite being a victim both at work and on the home front, Lauren's stoic demeanor stood her in good stead against such figures as her oily Principal Harris. Lauren was a character who had agency against all the odds.

Another intriguing character was the attorney David York. At one point, he came under suspicion by Lauren. But David turned out to be that rare creature in a Lifetime film: a soft male who actually had backbone and determination.

The actors hit all the right notes in this well-paced and well-photographed domestic drama. The only missing element in the denouement was that Principal Harris should have been fired and been on the receiving end of a civil suit filed by David.