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‘Deception’ deceives the paying customer
Bland title is the least of its problems
By Marty Sliva
Loose threads, roads to nowhere, and directorial decisions that treat the audience like their idiots simply solidify this film as one of the year’s very worst.
It’s never a good sign when you go to see a movie on opening day, and the only other person in the theater is a sixty-year-old man who falls asleep twenty minutes in and begins to snore—so went my experience with the shoe-in for least entertaining movie of the year, “Deception.”
On paper, “Deception” has all the necessary elements to make a compelling film. The story of an introverted number-crunching accountant who befriends a charismatic socialite could be the launching point for dozens of compelling narratives. Too bad the film stumbles through its entirety, linking poorly written scenes with terrible pacing and jaw-droppingly inane decisions.
What begins as one of those “Why are they friends?” friendships transforms into a soft-core pornographic romp through a seven-figure sex club for the high-rise elite of the world. This failed attempt at making a compelling film about sex then turns into a murder mystery that simply loses the audience’s interest the moment a smoking gun is introduced.
Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor play the leads in the film, with Jackman taking on the role of the socialite and McGregor following on his coattails as the reserved accountant. Although Jackman gets a few scenes where he can stretch out a bit and play with his role, McGregor constantly feels out of place. Like a kid wearing his dad’s clothes, he never seems to be comfortable with the character he’s playing. It’s hard to believe that the man who brought so much honest wonderment to his role in “Big Fish” is the very same who limps his way through this film.
Even when Jackman does get to show us a slightly darker side, he’s hampered by a soggy script that drips awkward conversations and shallow characterizations all over the film. It’s no surprise that the movie reads poorly when you realize that it was written by Mark Bomback, whose last movie was “Live Free or Die Hard,” or as I call it, “The Last Castration of John McClane.”
To top it all off, there are certain details within the world of the film that leave the viewers scratching their heads. Loose threads, roads to nowhere, and directorial decisions that treat the audience like their idiots simply solidify this film as one of the year’s very worst.
In all fairness, there are some good things to be said about “Deception.” Within in the first five minutes, you get to see Wolverine and Ben Kenobi smoke grass in a posh office overlooking the Manhattan skyline. If you’re anything like me, then it’s a sight you’ve dreamt about countless times.
Outside of two fictional icons partaking in a little green-green, the film is pretty much one bore after another. It tries to wow the audience by firing out semi-automatic twist after twist, but it just ends up baffling the viewer, leaving them lost and apathetic towards finding their way out.
Countless films have done everything that “Deception” tries to do, and dozens have exceeded with far superior results. With so many promising movies coming up on the horizon, your best bet would be to save your money for one that doesn’t leave you feeling so deceived.
> Comments
Robin Craig on Apr 28, 2008 at 02:29 PM:
Hi Marty, Surprise! Aunt Robin here telling that you are doing a great job, Loved your coluums. Keep up the good work. Lov Aunt Robin