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| Rating |  |
| Type | Video On Demand |
| Audience Rating | R (Restricted) |
| Release Date | 2008-11-17 |
| Actor | Hugh Jackman; Ewan McGregor; Michelle Williams; Lisa Gay Hamilton; Maggie Q; |
| Director | Marcel Langenegger; |
| Length | 108 minutes |
| Special Price |
| Lowest New Price | $3.99 |
| Categories | Action & Adventure Thrillers |
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Description |
| An accountant is introduced to a mysterious, sex-dating club known as "The List" by his lawyer friend. He becomes enthralled in this new lifestyle, but he soon becomes the prime suspect in a woman's disappearance and a multimillion-dollar heist. |
Customer Reviews |
 Noir-ish but lacks originality 2008-12-20 |
| By E. Bramlett (Tucson, AZ) |
| Deception has many of the elements of film noir - the morally conflicted protagonist, the femme fatale, the villain, the "dark city" and so on. However, aside from 21st century technology, people using cell phones and working on computers, this film seems to borrow very heavily from the B grade film noirs of the 40s and 50s without adding anything of significance or even paying homage to that which it imitates. It might be more interesting to those who are not already familiar with classic film noir, but I found this film very predictable and almost boring. So much for being an edge-of-the-seat thriller and having a plot twist. I'm giving it three stars for effective cinematography. |
 Can't review when you don't receive the merchandise. 2008-12-15 |
| By J. F. Gerace |
| I have had very bad luck ordering DVD's through Amazon. When I contact people about non-receipt, I get that worn out phrase...give it a few more days. |
| Twisted Drama Done Right! 2008-12-09 |
| By Rebecca H. Augustine (Birmingham, AL USA) |
Some years back, perhaps in an attempt to "stretch" himself, Hugh Jackman took on a role in a twisted drama as an ex-con down-on-his-luck who was "had" while John Travolta played a twisted sociopath. Although Swordfish was a bomb, mostly due to the far-fetched plot twists, it was not Jackman's fault, and fortunately for him and us, it was not a career breaker since he had already done bigger and better things and went on to do bigger and better things.
This time, Ewan MacGregor is the one who is "had," and Hugh Jackman is the twisted sociopath. These are definitely "growth roles" for both actors, and they acquitted themselves well. MacGregor usually plays more self-confident characters, so it must have been a stretch for him to play a "caterpillar." Nevertheless, he played to perfection the mousy accountant who is "had" by Jackman's charming but toxic con-artist. I do not recall ever seeing Michelle Williams before, but her performance as an unwilling pawn is stellar, and I hope to see more of her in the future. |
| Trying Oh So Hard to be Noir 2008-11-28 |
| By Paul G. Bens, Jr. (Los Angeles, California) |
With a cast like this, how could you go wrong? Well, start with a script so full of holes it would pass as a substitute for Swiss cheese and then add characters so incredibly one dimensional that they bore you to tears. Mix in a little passionless acting and you have a recipe for dud.
There is no depth here...not in the plot or the characters or the direction. It is clear that the director was trying very hard to create a modern day noir, but without firm characters and a believable plot (we won't even go into how implausible this is), all the smoldering stares, the pretty lighting and the nerdy accountant who meets incredibly appealing (verging on homoerotic in the first 20 minutes) con artist, come off incredibly flat and uninteresting.
For a really good movie on manipulation and deception and sexual tension, try "Apartment Zero" with Colin Firth and Hart Bochner, who (I kid you not) is absolutely brilliant as a charming dangerous man. |
 Deception So Transparent 2008-11-21 |
| By Tsuyoshi |
Perhaps I am not the only one who thinks any films with such names as Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor is always worth seeing. Moreover, one notable thing about "Deception" is that the film is co-produced by Hugh Jackman himself. You can see why he was attracted to the role he plays in this film - here Hugh Jackman plays a type of character he is not usually associated with - but I still don't see what part of the film's generic script he found so attractive.
A meek accountant Jonathan (Ewan McGregor) meets a smooth-talking lawyer named Wyatt (Hugh Jackman) in New York City. They soon become friends, but while Wyatt is away from the city, Jonathan is accidentally introduced to a mysterious sex club Wyatt is a member of, and Jonathan encounters a woman simply called "S" (Michelle Williams). Things get complicated and serious, naturally, when Jonathan falls for her and Wyatt comes back.
The premise itself is fairly intriguing. I can also forget the numerous plot holes and implausible situations (how many of us would answer the phone and go out to meet a stranger like Jonathan does?). As to the sex club, I would not be surprised if it really exists and watching the supporting players such as Natasha Henstridge, Maggie Q and Charlotte Rampling is amusing. Also, Dante Spinotti's night scene photography using Genesis digital video camera is aptly cold, capturing the atmosphere of the office Jonathan works in.
But the film is slow, the characters are flat, and most importantly, the plot is obvious. First-time director Marcel Langenegger drops so many hints as to the story carelessly in the first half of the film that I started to think the predictability is actually a ploy to deceive us. I wish it were. |
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