IF LOOKS COULD KILL

US, 1996, 85 minutes, Colour.
Antonio Sabato Jnr, David Keith, Brad Dourif, Maury Chaykin.
Directed by Sheldon Larry.

If Looks Could Kill is the story of a real-life conman. It relies on the US TV program America's Most Wanted which led to the arrest of the conman.

Antonio Sabato, a former model, plays a model-like young man, a bisexual man, who is able to exploit all those with whom he comes in contact, getting money for a hedonistic way of life. He gets his friends, played by Brad Dourif and Maury Chaykin, to murder a man and fake the death of Brad Dourif's character in order to get a million dollars insurance. David Keith plays the Los Angeles policeman who continues to pursue the conman despite lack of support from his local police and comes to rely on America's Most Wanted.

The film sketches in the personality of the conman, suggests his way of life, his exploitation of both men and women. The film also shows the relentless pursuit of the criminal by the police.

1. Interesting crime drama? The life of a conman? His eluding the police while taunting them with postcards? The role of the television program America's Most Wanted and eliciting responses from the television public?

2. The 1980s and 1990s, the atmosphere of the high life, hotels, apartments? Department stores? Miami and Los Angeles settings, Ohio? The overseas settings, especially Amsterdam? The musical score?

3. The title, its application to John Hawkins? The sketch of him, his background, his relationships with men and women, his self-confidence, his exuding charm? His eluding capture? The scheme for the department store, the insurance scams with the help of the doctor? The decision to fake the death of Gene? The body in Los Angeles? Cremated? The use of the money, his girlfriend, his fleeing the country, living in Sardinia and in Amsterdam? The final confrontation, his fight, the identification?

4. The police and their pursuit, the relentlessness, the lack of local support, the information about the murder victim? The policeman and his travel, his persuading the authorities to allow him to investigate? Going to America's Most Wanted? His meeting John Hawkins? His interview with Gene? Continually missing him? The years passing? The information from Sardinia, the identification, his achievement? The relentless policeman?

5. Gene, his friendship with John, infatuation with him? Managing the shop? Using the insurance money? The high life, the plan for Gene's death, his leaving, taking the money? The death of the man in Los Angeles, his plastic surgery, wanting to look like John? His being held by security at the airport, his arrest, his continued support of John? The doctor, his infatuation with John, signing the scam certificates? His attempt to murder the young man? Picking up the second young man, killing him, faking the lab results? His not being smart enough to cover his tracks, his arrest?

6. The men and women attracted by John, the affairs, their reluctance to report him? The Dutch woman and her anger at finding out that he was bisexual? Her giving the information?

7. America's Most Wanted, the service that it played in helping in the uncovering of crimes and the apprehension of criminals?