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'Deception' lacks killer instinct
Movie Review: Deception
By Brett Troxler
btroxler@wbrz.com
Web Producer
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out of 4 stars.
In “Deception,” straight-laced Jonathan McQuarry has made a new friend in lawyer Wyatt Bose.
Normally a quiet, particular accountant who lives his life mostly unsure of himself, Jonathan (Ewan McGregor) finds in Wyatt (Hugh Jackman) everything he's not. Wyatt is smooth, confident and a risk-taker. So when a cell phone switch plunges Jonathan into Wyatt's lavish lifestyle, he discovers a world of which he never knew he could be a part.
The cell phone swap is harmless enough on the surface; Wyatt doesn't mind.
But it isn't long until the device grants Jonathan unexpected membership into an underground sex club, which boasts strict rules to maintain anonymity. Jonathan is soon overcome by a whirlwind of anonymous physical encounters that set him free.
But during one of these encounters, he meets “S” (Michelle Williams), a woman he's run into before. Jonathan is smitten. Coincidence?
Well, as the title suggests, things aren't exactly as they seem. Everything comes with a price, and no one knows that better than an accountant. Jonathan quickly finds -- and painfully so -- that he's right in the middle of a multimillion-dollar heist -- one he's going to pull off or else. The fun and games are over.
The opening sequence of “Deception” serves to clearly define the characters of Jonathan and Wyatt for the audience. This is a smart move, as the conversation between the two during their initial meeting shows us the night and day differences in their personalities, which is key before allowing the story to move forward.
Jackman and McGregor are perfect for each of their parts, with the former pulling off the clean-cut, devilishly handsome, ultimate-charmer role, and the latter stuttering when he speaks and carrying himself with slumped shoulders. Fine casting here.
As for plot, this thriller has a few tense moments with its murder and money, ultimatums and threats, but in the end it, like it's hero, lacks that killer instinct. Once we reach the climax, the film dips and changes its focus for a time, and the result doesn't feel fresh and is rather predictable.
Still, Marcel Langenegger should be proud of the product he put on the screen in his feature film directorial debut.
