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Films on the to-do list

  • Armageddon Time
  • Black Widow
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  • The Killing of a Sacred Deer
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Wicked Love: The Maria Korp Story (2010)

Film review: Wicked Love: The Maria Korp Story (2010), directed by Ian Watson

Guilty pleasure time again … a True Movie. The thing that amazed me about this one is that it’s not American, but Australian! And the reason I went “OMG I must see this!!” is because it stars Emma from The Flying Doctors!

Maria Korp (Rebecca Gibney) is the narrator of the story, and begins in a similar way to American Beauty, something about “this is the day I died”. We see a woman getting ready for another day at the office, and how she’s attacked in her garage, put in the boot of her own car, which is then deserted by the side of the road near a park somewhere in Melbourne.

What follows is the story leading up to those events, starting when widow Maria met Joe Korp (Vince Colosimo), in whom she first wasn’t interested, but who kept trying to persuade her to go out with him. Eventually she gives in – Joe normally gets what he wants – and a few months later, they’re married. They build their own house together and Maria thinks they’re all one big, happy family.

Reality, however, is a whole lot different.

Joe has started an affair with Tania Herman (Maya Stange), under the pretence that he’s single and has no children – even though he has a son (Matthew Latham) and stepdaughter (Jessica Tovey) at home, of course. Joe’s a very charming man, and it doesn’t take long before both Tania and her daughter Lucy (Patricia Holt) are smitten.

Maria starts getting suspicious, and finds out what her husband is up to … but doesn’t throw him out. She tries, a few times, but she always caves in. She wants him to end the relationship with Tania. He swears that he will, but as far as Tania is concerned they’re engaged to be married, and he just has to get his wife to divorce him.

Most of the time watching, I was sitting there with a dropped jaw in my lap, so to speak. First of all, the fact that she didn’t kick him out, but kept taking him back. I guess this is because she was a devout Catholic and divorce would only be a very last option. The whole “kept taking him back” also goes for Tania, who didn’t just finally go “actually, this is bull – you’re never going to divorce her, I’m out”.

Secondly, because HOLY CRAP what a manipulative bastard of a man! I’m impressed as well as repulsed by his behaviour, and if you want a good example of a narcissistic personality disorder, look no further! Completely gobsmacked by what he was doing, and how he could wind everyone around his finger and make them do whatever suited him best at the time. Beware the charming bastards, ladies … especially the good looking ones. Particularly the good looking ones!

How much truth there is to this story, compared to reality, I don’t honestly know. With the end of Joe Korp, which the film portrays as a massive publicity stunt, for lack of a better word, which turned into an accidental death … well, I guess we can only speculate. Wouldn’t be surprising, though, as it fit extremely well with his character in this film.

Considering what happened to Maria Korp is actually true, she was attacked in her own garage, put in a trunk and found barely alive and died after five months in a coma, I just feel sorry for all the children involved. Little Lucy as well as the Korp children. I wonder what they think about their stories being filmed like this. Actually, I found a site that said the daughter was “shocked and appalled” by it. Well done there, film makers …

Absolutely loved seeing Rebecca Gibney again, even though for the most part I hardly recognised her – granted, 25 years have passed since she was in those mechanic’s dungarees … Also, very well played on Colosimo’s part. He was perfectly charming and oh so incredibly handsome while at the same time being such a complete and utter bastard that I wanted to should “RUN AWAYYYYY!!” at all the women involved. Truly scary, in a way that horror movies never seem to be.

3.5 out of 5 wedding rings.

Traxy

An easily distracted and over-excited introvert who never learns to go to bed at a reasonable time. Enjoys traveling (when there's not a plague on), and taking photos of European architecture. Cares for cats, good coffee and Boardwalk Empire. A child of her time, she did media studies in school and still can't decide what she wants to be when she grows up.

4 thoughts on “Wicked Love: The Maria Korp Story (2010)

  1. Just watched this today (midday television, heh). I knew nothing about the true elements, but was nonetheless enthralled by the performances.

    I know I’m very late to the party, but I really enjoyed your writeup here.

    1. I don’t remember exactly the last 15 minutes, but I think it ended with the husband killing himself. It was meant to be a “oh look how distraught I am over my darling wife dying” stunt to garner sympathy, but it went wrong and he died.

      If you’re interested in the REAL case, have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Korp which tells you a bit about what happened.

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