Deception

"The essence of lying is in deception, not in words." John Ruskin

The only deception in the film Deception is that you might expect a cool, modern thriller. WRONG. This piece of cinematic disappointment defines the dramatic descriptor "telegraph." In other words, if you didn't have an idea of what is to come from what is happening now, then you've not been to junk movies enough not to be surprised. Of course, you can feel right at home with the pervasive use of cell phones, but then you may watch enough TV to be used to them as dramatic device.

Jonathan McQuarry (Ewan McGregor) is a dorky high-level auditor with the requisite glasses and outdated haircut who stumbles into a sex ring, aided by the urbane Wyatt Bose (High Jackman). As Jonathan enjoys himself picking the ever so sweet fruit from this vine, he falls in love with one of the anonymous partners, not a good thing to do.

The ensuing plot complications are as clichéd as clouds in Seattle—they don't always make sense, but, hey, this is the movies! The problem is that without a sharp script, the inconsistencies are more obvious and plot points just not credible, e.g., how does she magically appear at the right spot in a big city? or how can you commit a murder in a public park in Madrid without anyone around in broad daylight? or how can you get a phony passport on short notice? or how can you withdraw millions with that document especially since the photo ID online doesn't look close to your impersonation? or, oh, well, I'm not going to deceive you—this movie lacks credibility.

Jonathan McQuarry, is an accountant who strikes up a friendship with a lawyer called Wyatt Bose. After accidentally swapping phones, McQuarry starts getting calls from women who are part of a group of people who meet purely for casual sexual encounters. During one of these, McQuarry meets a blonde woman whom he becomes close to. When he's attacked and she disappears, he discovers more going on than he realized....

From the above plot description some people can figure out where the story is heading. I for one did. It's a sad fact that the script written by Mark Bomback holds no surprises at all. It also doesn't help that there are plot holes that aren't explained or dealt with. The direction by Marcel Langenegger is okay, but he doesn't add any tension into the movie.

What does save the movie are the three main performances. Michelle Williams is suitably enigmatic as the girl involved, Hugh Jackman as Wyatt Bose brings charm and charisma to the part, and Ewan McGregor as Jonathan McQuarry convinces as the straight, lonely accountant seduced into the events played out.

However the performances alone can't save the movie from being a disappointing, predictable thriller.

Its not perfect by no means, the script has much to be desired and at times the acting was unconvincing. But when I went into the Cinema I wasn't expecting anything mind-blowing, in fact I wasn't expecting anything at all. Surprisingly I didn't seam to find the movie overly predictable, however at times its dramatically far fetched. Notably the complete stupidity of a shooting occurring in broad day light in a busy European city going unnoticed. All this being said, the movie is entertaining. I wasn't at any moment particularly board with its rather slow beginning moving on to a fast paces final hour. Surprisingly Ewan McGregor seamed to portray the role fairly well with the exception of a few noticeable accent slips. Michelle Williams on the other hand has much to be desired. In no way am I suggesting she's a great actress but I was surprised at how unconvincingly she portrays a rather simple role. Its definitely a mixed bag, where on one hand its very engaging and on the other it has obvious flaws. I recommend it, you'll be thoroughly entertained but try not going in the theatre expecting to much.

Jonathan McQuarry (Ewan McGregor) is shy Auditor/Accountant who moves from office to office in New York City, working away by himself, crunching numbers, solving problems. His life is dull and his social life is even worse. One night while working late a smooth talking well dressed lawyer named Wyatt Bose (Hugh Jackman) introduces himself to Jonathan, Wyatt offers Jonathan a certain green cigarette and the two quickly establish a friendship and begin to socialize with one another and soon enough, Jonathan is involved in a secret sex club.

Deception is a movie where it attempts to bring back the dying erotic thriller genre and to some degree it works, the concept of this sex club amongst Manhattans elite is intriguing and watching Jonathan gain confidence in himself and doing things he thought he never would makes for quite a watch. The problem is though is that the story/screenplay is paper thin, you will know the plot twists well before they happen and you will question some of the poor decision making and silliness during the film. It's disappointing that the story is weak because the cast is strong and the film is well made. Deception looks sleek and beautiful, the cinematography by the legendary Dante Spinotte is a must see on its own, New York City has never looked any sexier than it does in this film, set decoration is also fantastic and all that is accompanied by an engrossing sound track which fits in perfectly with the film. The actors do a fine job with what they have to work with but again it makes you wonder how good this movie could have been with a better screenplay. I wouldn't quite say Deception is a must see but it's definitely a decent watch on a quiet night in.

The thriller genre has been well explored and perfected over decades of cinema. While some familiar elements and conventions are to be expected in a new release, you would expect, at the very least, that a new entry tops the previous ones.

And sadly, Deception does not. The movie almost feels like a remake of Curtis Hanson's Bad Influence. A movie that was made almost twenty years ago and features two main characters that are carbon copies of those of McGregor and Jackman, only they were played respectively by James Spader and Rob Lowe.

Whatever "twists" are found in Deception, you see them coming from a mile and they fall flat. The acting? Everybody seems to be cashing his check. One-dimensional characters and an aimless plot make for a boring two hours. Even the "list" subplot feels tacked on and doesn't even provide any enjoyment, nor does it add anything to the film.

The photography is amazing but this is truly a poor Hollywood movie and one that you will be better off passing on, unless you are a die-hard fan of the genre or one of the main actors featured. All in all, a tremendous waste of talent and resources due to a crappy script.