A key character in the American lexicon of cultural types has been the “con artist,” in terms of motivation, manipulative tricks and ultimate success or failure. Money may perhaps rarely be the major goal, and the scope of trickery can be limited or international in nature! The common denominator is that the villain is usually lovable. We will examine four films based on real cases, with different effects on the ultimate victims: Six Degrees of Separation (1993), The Hoax (2006), I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) and Catch Me If You Can (2002).
