Movie Review: Deception

Deception (2008) 

Directed by Marcel Langenegger 

Written by Mark Bombeck 

Starring Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams

Release Date April 25th, 2008 

Published April 26th, 2008

Jonathan (Ewan McGregor) is kind of a loser. Despite a high paying job as an accountant in New York City, Jonathan has no friends and no real life outside of his work. That changes when he is befriended by Wiley (Hugh Jackman) a charming, self effacing lawyer for one of Jonathan's client company's. Though they would seem to have nothing in common, Jonathan finds Wiley's friendly entreaties irresistible, probably because he has no friends to begin with. 

Wiley invites Jonathan out for a night on the town, loans him a 4000 dollar suit, and works on getting him laid. When Wiley heads out of town for a few weeks he 'accidentally' switches cellphones with Jonathan. From there Jonathan begins fielding Wiley's calls and finds himself initiated to 'the list' a group of high powered men and women who get together to engage in anonymous one night stands.

Through 'the list' Jonathan meets and falls in love with a woman (Michele Williams) whose name he does not know. Breaking the rules of 'the list' he tells her his name and asks to see her a second time on a real date. She agrees but when the date moves to a tiny hotel room Jonathan finds himself knocked unconscious and the girl gone missing. Now he must find the girl and discover just how much trouble his pal Wiley and this mysterious list have in store for him.

Sleazy and slow witted, Deception is an erotic thriller that is not all that erotic and far from thrilling. This is a movie that believes watching a bank transaction against a ticking clock is somehow exciting. As McGregor sits in front of a computer screen hyper music underscores quick cuts from his sweaty brow to a clock on the wall to the computer screen with a helpful icon that counts down how long the download is taking.

If that doesn't get your heart racing there is chemistry free romance between McGregor and Williams so uninspiring, it pales in comparison to the oddly homoerotic bonding between Jackman and McGregor. In a ballsier movie the romance would have been between Jackman and McGregor but this is not a really ballsy movie, just a really bad one.

Deception was released by Fox as a favor to star Hugh Jackman who produced the film under his Seed Productions banner. The film likely would have been direct to video after an international release if Fox were not counting on Jackman to push the fall epic Austrailia and next summer's blockbuster tent pole Wolverine. That may sound cynical but that's Hollywood horse trading for you. Also, how else could you explain how such a terrible film as Deception found its way to more than 2000 screens?