Amanda is that sweet Seattle girl going off to Italy for a year's study there. She is an honor student and as she accused of murdering her room-mate, we learn that she is quite a character-boozy, joint smoking and in with all the crazy guys in various sex romps. This is a little too much to take as we are not prepared for the transformation we are hearing.

Her ultimate conviction makes us forget that this is also the story of the media and the differences in the laws of a foreign country. It's almost as if you do a crime, make sure it's in your own home country. Too many guys with too many murder suspects mars this film.

In 2007 Perugia, Italy, Amanda Knox (Hayden Panettiere) and boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito (Paolo Romio) call the police for a possible break-in. Then the body of her roommate Meredith Kercher is found locked in her room. In a long flashback, Amanda is an eager university girl from Seattle who wants to spend a year in Italy. She and Sollecito become prime suspect and eventually convicted for the Kercher murder.

I really like the start with the movie getting right into the case. Then the movie goes back to a very bland flashback. Anything significant gleamed from the flashback can easily be included later on in smaller snippets. It's only ten minutes but it sucks out much of the early tension. Generally, this is an acceptable TV movie with Panettiere keeping the character compelling to watch. There is no doubt that this is exploitation TV but it's relatively well-made. It's not trying to take an obvious side but that can also make the movie less dramatic.

Just to point out that I'm not a movie critic, and this is my first review. The job done on this piece, considering it's a LifeTime movie was not that bad. I mean it was meant for TV, not hitting the theaters, and there were not multi-million dollar deals behind it to make it happen. I've always felt, for example with books turned into movies, that they always leave the most important information out. It's so hard to grasp it all and portray it in less than 2hrs (which is, what I think, the average movie's length is). This movie did an OK job, but everything was so rushed. The trial was very rushed, and while at the time of production/recording everything was still 'in the air', there was nothing SET. The movie goes back and forth, and there is so much inconsistency. Also, I'm not sure what side was the movie on or whether it was intended for the viewer to decide. All of the facts that were given the "appropriate" time pointed the finger at Amanda. I got the feeling that she was guilty.

HIV tests, sex, drugs, multiple sexual partners, moving in with Rafaelle (whatever). I know, this is not a documentary, and it was just based on a true story, and did not follow everything that happened exactly as it did, or did it? I just think that it was like a terrible essay, where you argue both points but don't choose your own, and don't have supporting information to back up your point. I did not even get the vibe that some people did about Italians being evil. I just happened to find out about this whole case about a week or two ago, therefore I have not been following. I was recommended to watch this movie to fill me in, but I think it does a very poor job on giving you the details because there aren't ANY. :-/.

It was a big mumble jumble of nothingness, very moving with great performances but terrible script.