I caught this on tv yesterday, after missing the first 10 minutes, when Burton is speaking with Dolenz. I was captivated by the acting, very precise and intense. Dolenz played the part of lawyer for Burton's dead cousin. All the actors did a fine job. I missed a few minutes of the movie when Burton got sick. This has tons of red herrings, and deceptions.
The frustration comes from Burton being as dumb as a rock. Someone who at first suspects then basically accuses his cousin's wife Havilland of murdering his cousin, then he falls in love with her, and transfers his inheritance to her. She plays coy, but accepts Burton's gifts and never turns back. So we are left with a dumb Burton and a manipulative Havilland. The ultimate frustration is it is left up to the viewer to decide if Havilland killed Burton's cousin. I read most of the reviews here and some believe the author didn't even know if Havilland was the killer. What we are certain is Burton plays a spoiled dumb man, and Havilland plays a manipulative widow. The actors did a fine job. But who the hell wants to sit with these unlikable characters for 98 minutes.
The frustration comes from Burton being as dumb as a rock. Someone who at first suspects then basically accuses his cousin's wife Havilland of murdering his cousin, then he falls in love with her, and transfers his inheritance to her. She plays coy, but accepts Burton's gifts and never turns back. So we are left with a dumb Burton and a manipulative Havilland. The ultimate frustration is it is left up to the viewer to decide if Havilland killed Burton's cousin. I read most of the reviews here and some believe the author didn't even know if Havilland was the killer. What we are certain is Burton plays a spoiled dumb man, and Havilland plays a manipulative widow. The actors did a fine job. But who the hell wants to sit with these unlikable characters for 98 minutes.