An average made-for-television movie -- not bad but strictly by the numbers. The title pretty much tells the whole story, but surely dramatizes some of the elements, such as Annabella Sciorra's not merely using Kimberley Williams-Paisley's credit cards and bank account to stoke up on "stuff" or "things", but desiring to actually BE the victim, whose real name is Michelle Brown.
Michelle Brown, a good, solid English name. Sciorra is named Connie Volkos which, in comparison, sounds like something from the Mongolian steppes. The story has almost written itself for television. Sometimes it feels good to be a victim. Freud called the good things about being a victim "secondary gains," but if that's all there were to it there would be no such thing as Münchausen's syndrome. Not that Michelle Brown invited this exploitation. She's as blameless as Bridget Fonda was in a similar story, "Single, White, Female." Michelle is young, slim, sexy, bubbly, and cute in an almost cartoonish way. She has sparkling blue eyes and exudes innocence. She has a high chirpy voice that in times of upset turns a little tinny. All she wants is a house and the guy waiting in the wings to come out as a loving husband who is cheerful and "there" for her. And vegetarian pizza.
Schiorra is older, bleached blond, sinister, surprisingly hefty, and whorish. We meet her sucking a chocolate lollipop and twirling a strand of her tangled hair. She's a contralto. We can tell at once from her appearance and demeanor that she's a self-absorbed slut. She listens to hip hop music in her brand new automobile bought with some kind of credit stolen from honest, likable Michelle. She dyes her hair brown like Michelle's and obtains a fake photo ID. It goes on rather predictably from there.
There is one unanticipated element in the film. Sciorra's character is given a certain amount of depth. She has a reason for acting as she does, though not a justification. It's probably Anna Sciorra's best performance, mixing as it does envy, defiance, carelessness, indifference, and pathos. It adds to the film, not so much through the dialog as through Sciorra's handling of the role. I have a creepy feeling that in real life, "Connie Volkos" didn't want to absorb Michelle Brown's identity; she just wanted the money.
Michelle Brown, a good, solid English name. Sciorra is named Connie Volkos which, in comparison, sounds like something from the Mongolian steppes. The story has almost written itself for television. Sometimes it feels good to be a victim. Freud called the good things about being a victim "secondary gains," but if that's all there were to it there would be no such thing as Münchausen's syndrome. Not that Michelle Brown invited this exploitation. She's as blameless as Bridget Fonda was in a similar story, "Single, White, Female." Michelle is young, slim, sexy, bubbly, and cute in an almost cartoonish way. She has sparkling blue eyes and exudes innocence. She has a high chirpy voice that in times of upset turns a little tinny. All she wants is a house and the guy waiting in the wings to come out as a loving husband who is cheerful and "there" for her. And vegetarian pizza.
Schiorra is older, bleached blond, sinister, surprisingly hefty, and whorish. We meet her sucking a chocolate lollipop and twirling a strand of her tangled hair. She's a contralto. We can tell at once from her appearance and demeanor that she's a self-absorbed slut. She listens to hip hop music in her brand new automobile bought with some kind of credit stolen from honest, likable Michelle. She dyes her hair brown like Michelle's and obtains a fake photo ID. It goes on rather predictably from there.
There is one unanticipated element in the film. Sciorra's character is given a certain amount of depth. She has a reason for acting as she does, though not a justification. It's probably Anna Sciorra's best performance, mixing as it does envy, defiance, carelessness, indifference, and pathos. It adds to the film, not so much through the dialog as through Sciorra's handling of the role. I have a creepy feeling that in real life, "Connie Volkos" didn't want to absorb Michelle Brown's identity; she just wanted the money.