Don't listen to the negative reviews

An Exercise In Nonsense

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

I have read some bad reviews of this film and I have to say, after watching the film I was pleasantly surprised.There are parts of the story that have been altered as Hollywood expects a certain glossy finish to its films. The bulk of the story however remains the same. It is a little like fatal attraction and when you find yourself thinking that you stop for a moment and realise, "hang on, this actually happened".The story, for anybody who knows about the case, is predictable for its genre but the lead actress Tania Raymonde is not bad in the roll at all. She plays the part of Arias quite well and her little jealous outbursts were that convincing she reminded me of an ex of mine! All in all its not a bad film. The only criticism I would have is they don't spend enough time on the trial. This film however is well worth watching!

This Lifetime film does a great job of depicting a pathetic relationship and sensational crime story that became fodder for the tabloids back in 2008.Tania Raymonde and Jesse Lee Soffer are thoroughly convincing as the obsessive seductress Jodi Arias and the Mormon motivational speaker Travis Alexander, whose in-the-shadows relationship was as torrid as it was dysfunctional.As is so often the case in dangerous liaisons, warning signs were present from the beginning. Jodi broke a boundary the first time she addressed Travis -- by barging into a men's room while he was urinating! It was just the first of many violations that Alexander refused to take seriously enough. He couldn't resist the sexy curves of a woman who knew all too well the power she held over men -- temporarily. Guys tended to use and discard her. This film depicts Jodi as an obsessive stalker who, in the case of her latest love -- a man who preached high standards but didn't follow them -- wasn't willing to accept another rejection.I don't know how accurate this movie was, but it does offer an explanation for how Jodi could have had sex with Travis, photographing him sensually in the shower, only to stab him shortly thereafter and shoot him in the face. The performances here are stellar, and the director creates tension as we watch Jodi up the ante, tormenting and then terrorizing a man she seems to both love and detest. Finally, in June 2008, he invites her in for tea. What were you thinking, man!? But then again, Travis didn't use his head much when Jodi was around. Jodi's boundary problems were evident from the start and the movie suggests Alexander had similar issues. He is amazingly open to reigniting passion with Jodi in the face of her increasingly sinister behavior, sending grievously mixed messages to a deeply troubled woman.To this film's credit, we get to know each of the principals in depth, with neither being shown as wholly likable or abhorrent.In all, this was magnificent work!

This is a very well made dramatization of the Jodi Arias murder of Travis Alexander. Most people who watch the news this year would have seen images of the photos or Jodi testifying at trial. Now it comes to life on screen in a thorough and clear manner. Of course all the elements of a good movie are there already from the facts of the case: attractive young protagonists, sex, photos, obsession and a terrible murder.The story of the relationship is actually very interesting. The obsession and stalking behavior of Jodi is shown - a real life Fatal Attraction. Quite fascinating is seeing the values of the Mormon faith clash when a Mormon starts a relationship with a non Mormon. Felt sorry for the clean cut Travis struggling between his belief in abstinence until marriage and his desire for Jodi. The movie is balanced as it shows he was wrong to have keep sleeping with her after he know how obsessive and unhinged she was.The acting is quite good. Jesse Lee Soffer is sympathetic as the conflicted Travis. Tania Raymonde is just wacko looking enough - not too much for the obsessed Jodi.The murder itself is horrifying and they do show the killing - enough to know what happened though not too much that it would be sickening.Well done. Be prepared - it's much more affecting than any fictional stalker thriller movie.

I have been following the Jodi Arias murder trial, mostly out of fascination. Sociopathy has become more intriguing to me over the years - realizing that so many sociopaths walk among us and we are completely unawares. Much of what I have learned is from a book called "The Sociopath Next Door" by Martha Stout. The book is so good that it should be required reading in social studies. It could help a lot of people avoid tragedies like these.I thought that Tania Raymonde did a great job of emulating Jodi and what many have come to believe her motives were. While what Jodi did was heinous beyond belief - the target of her affections which crossed into butchery was not entirely a saint. It was clear that Travis used Jodi for sex and then discarded her like yesterday's trash when he decided to pursue finding himself a suitable Mormon wife - but not entirely. He kept Jodi around like many men and women do to keep those booty calls handy.Many of the true details of their relationship that I believe were critical were completely left out. For instance, the coy way that Jodi was heard to act like a little girl in real life phone conversations with Travis. Also, the movie didn't cover any of the sordid sexual details that Travis himself admitted to on the phone. Tania seemed far more mature than Jodi has - and I didn't see any indication that she ever took on the role of a coy teenager.I also got the feeling that Tania Raymonde's portrayal was more sexually mature than Jodi. I could not imagine Jodi being that appealing. Also, from the trial accounts there was some big todo about whether they were having regular, traditional sex or not. It seemed that they did certain things more regularly in an effort to conform with the Mormon faith that he espoused and she joined. Either way, they broke the rules because they weren't supposed to be having sexual contact prior to marriage anyway. And there is no doubt in my mind that Travis never thought of Jodi as marriage material. She became the booty call that he hid from people -- so the title really works here -- because she really was his dirty little secret. Finally, the moments before Jodi murdered Travis indicated that she became especially peeved by a text message. The fact that she went to great lengths to dye her hair, get gas cans so she wouldn't have to stop for gas and turned her cell phone off -- all so she wouldn't be traced or recognized. It was always obvious to me that the murder was premeditated, making it ever more creepy and this was never even touched on in the film.Travis Alexander, despite targeting Jodi directly as a sociopath in text messages - continued to have sex with her anyway. While that is not a crime and he does not deserve to be murdered for it - this should serve as a cautionary tale for anyone, man or woman who becomes resided to the fact that a romantic interest, friend or even family member is a sociopath. When you are sure of this - you must never confront them. Keep it to yourself and get as far away as possible. Make excuses and play a game, but do not let them close to you anymore. You've been warned from the second you know they're a sociopath. It never ends well. In my own personal experience, once sociopaths know they've lost, they are like animals who are out for the kill and will not rest until they either have control of you or they have done whatever they can to destroy you. When Travis became aware of her evil, under no circumstances did he have any business letting her through his door ever again. As I said before -- yes, Jodi is a sociopath. She will do whatever it takes to get what she wants, lying all the way through. Any tears she sheds is because she got caught. I wasn't expecting the film to go thoroughly into her psyche -- but I would have liked it if there was more emphasis on a lesson to take stalking very seriously. When a woman is stalked - films generally push how dangerous that is, but I didn't see that here. Perhaps it is a double standard since Travis was a male. Keyword: was. Had he gotten totally away from Jodi, perhaps he'd still be alive. But you don't get away from a sociopath by letting them back in your home at 4 am and having sex with them all day long.