A key character in the American lexicon of cultural types has been the con artist, in terms of motivation, tricks of manipulation and ultimate success or failure. Money is perhaps rarely 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. Listed in order of screening: Six Degrees of Separation (1993), The Hoax (2006), I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) and Catch Me If You Can (2002).
