This film, originally titled "Dear Martha" suffers a little for its low budget but ends up being a decent movie. The bad sound which at times makes it difficult to understand the dialog might turn you off at first but if you stick with it, it stops being so distracting. What I liked about the film is that the movie stuck a lot to actual facts of the true story. It is heavily rumored that this couple the story is based on killed a lot more then two people but the film doesn't speculate anything and only shows the two confirmed killings. This is the story of Martha Beck, a lonely, moody nurse, who joins a "lonely hearts club" where lonely people write to each other. Well, soon she receives letters from Ray Fernandez, a charming con- man. They meet, she falls in love with him, and he robs her and leaves. She tracks him down and is so lonely, she convinces him she will help con people as long as they marry one day. They eventually become a team where she pretends to be his sister while he cons money out of lonely women. Martin Scorsese was hired to direct but was replaced after he was taking way too long with each shot and the director feared they would go over budget. That budget was $150,000 which even in 1969 was not a lot to make a movie. Shirley Stoler and Tony Lobianco as the twisted couple are very well cast as well as a small role by a young Doris Roberts who would later play the mom in "Everybody loves Raymond". Good Stuff!
Review of The Honeymoon Killers
