add a vulnerable divorcée (Tim Matheson) and you have this story; the true story is based on Lisa Ann Rohne, who grew up poor, transient, and ran a ring of deception around Roger Paulson (Matheson).
Overall, this is a good suspense story, although the naiveté of the victim a bit hard to believe. Tracy Pollan is very good as Rohne, who meets the Matheson character through personal ads. (Today it would be online dating, and we now have true crime based on that as well).
It is very interesting to watch, in that Pollan consistently lies and manipulates Paulson, resides at his home and uses him to set up shop for her partner's credit card fraud, among other things. There are also supporting roles with Christine Ebersole, and Lee Garlington, who is excellent as Rita, Paulson's friend who suspects trouble.
The issue of sociopathic behaviour is interesting, in general, and it would have been worthwhile for the writers to have explored Rohne's motivations, background, etc. Given the situation with online dating today, this is clearly a subject which merits more analysis, and we will certainly be hearing more about, in today's headlines. 9/10.
Overall, this is a good suspense story, although the naiveté of the victim a bit hard to believe. Tracy Pollan is very good as Rohne, who meets the Matheson character through personal ads. (Today it would be online dating, and we now have true crime based on that as well).
It is very interesting to watch, in that Pollan consistently lies and manipulates Paulson, resides at his home and uses him to set up shop for her partner's credit card fraud, among other things. There are also supporting roles with Christine Ebersole, and Lee Garlington, who is excellent as Rita, Paulson's friend who suspects trouble.
The issue of sociopathic behaviour is interesting, in general, and it would have been worthwhile for the writers to have explored Rohne's motivations, background, etc. Given the situation with online dating today, this is clearly a subject which merits more analysis, and we will certainly be hearing more about, in today's headlines. 9/10.