There is a recurring scene in "A Wedding to Die For" (a.k.a., "Deadly Vows") where Helena Packard is talking to herself in a mirror where her Döppelganger eggs her on to murder her enemies. That stock device is one of the numerous clichés in this by-the-numbers thriller.

The film opens with Helena's second husband dropping dead at the altar after he ate a poisoned cupcake prepared served in a jealous stupor by his bride-to-be. Helena then changes her name and moves to a new town where she opens a bakery. She is about to marry a young hardware store employee named Charlie Dillon, when Charlie's sister Becca arrives in town for the wedding. The connection of Helena and Becca will be the most intriguing relationship developed in the film.

Early on, it should be clear to everyone that Helena is deranged. The sluggish responses of Charlie's doting parents, Nancy and Stuart, and, above all, Charlie himself make the film difficult to believe. It was also unpleasant that the film's two most likeable characters, Mrs. Mazurek, a rival baker in town, and the kind florist, Monica, who had previously dated Charlie, were murdered. It was clear as soon as they appeared on camera that Mrs. Mazurek and Monica would not last for long in the script.

While the actors worked hard to make their characters engaging, they were nonetheless swimming upstream in a sea of clichés. The only bright spot was the creative idea for the relationship of Helena and Becca. Helena seems fixated on the idea of having a sister. Both she and Becca were adopted. But they both charted very different paths for themselves in life, one a skilled baker with a virtually untreatable pathology, the other a computer expert who was stable and confident. How life spins its intricate and unpredictable web is fascinating to behold.

Even by Lifetime's very very low bar. But the acting and casting are pretty well spot on, and you didn't really tune into Lifetime to see reality, eh? Pastry chef bakes up some killer cupcakes to her male friends and future husbands. The explanation(s) for her bizarre behavior seem to shift and wobble as the movie goes along, but again we're in Lifetime Land. Enjoy.

The idea of a woman who gets engaged to and then murders men is exciting, but it was ruined by the cop-out "mental problems" ending. The villain always has some traumatic past that causes mental issues and makes her kill people. For once, why can't they just be a funny sociopathic type killer? Or have a motivation that doesn't have to do with mental health (like maybe money?). That idea would've been way better.