"Seduced by a Stranger" (a.k.a., "Ring of Deception") raises one essential question: Will the reformed Martin Hale be any different from the old version of Evan Grable?
This mystery man shows up in the life of art dealer Julie Stevens and sweeps the lonely widow off her feet. In one early scene set in Julie's home, Martin excuses himself to go to the lavatory, but makes a beeline for Julie's study to photograph her financial records. When Julie walks in and nearly catches him in the act, he smothers her in kisses and the couple goes at it with their two high school children downstairs.
The plot thickens when Sloane, the girlfriend whom "Evan Grable" robbed and jilted, shows up for revenge and seeks to recover her precious bracelet. In the meantime, the progeny of Julie and Martin, young Charlie and Dana are falling in love!
A weakness of the screenplay was in the relationship of the two kids with their single parents. In the way that young Dana speaks to her father, it is clear that this high school student is fully aware of his past indiscretions and the details about how he seduced and jilted "dozens" of women. Dana berates her father for bad conduct to such a degree that it is difficult to believe that she is not his nagging wife! Young Charlie Stevens similarly micromanages his mother's life by giving her encouragement in getting back to the dating scene. These were two kids who required the nurturing support of their parents, not vice versa!
The strength of the film was in the excellent performance of the actress playing Julie. She was clearly lonely and perceived something that she believed was decent in Martin. For his part, he vows that he is going to be "turning over a new leaf." By the end, the filmmakers work overtime in suggesting that Martin Hale is a reformed man. Individual viewers will have to make up their own minds.
This mystery man shows up in the life of art dealer Julie Stevens and sweeps the lonely widow off her feet. In one early scene set in Julie's home, Martin excuses himself to go to the lavatory, but makes a beeline for Julie's study to photograph her financial records. When Julie walks in and nearly catches him in the act, he smothers her in kisses and the couple goes at it with their two high school children downstairs.
The plot thickens when Sloane, the girlfriend whom "Evan Grable" robbed and jilted, shows up for revenge and seeks to recover her precious bracelet. In the meantime, the progeny of Julie and Martin, young Charlie and Dana are falling in love!
A weakness of the screenplay was in the relationship of the two kids with their single parents. In the way that young Dana speaks to her father, it is clear that this high school student is fully aware of his past indiscretions and the details about how he seduced and jilted "dozens" of women. Dana berates her father for bad conduct to such a degree that it is difficult to believe that she is not his nagging wife! Young Charlie Stevens similarly micromanages his mother's life by giving her encouragement in getting back to the dating scene. These were two kids who required the nurturing support of their parents, not vice versa!
The strength of the film was in the excellent performance of the actress playing Julie. She was clearly lonely and perceived something that she believed was decent in Martin. For his part, he vows that he is going to be "turning over a new leaf." By the end, the filmmakers work overtime in suggesting that Martin Hale is a reformed man. Individual viewers will have to make up their own minds.