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TAKE two hotshot executives, from Harvard and Princeton most likely, and get them to fraternise in one of their offices — in meek accountant Jonathan McQuarry’s (Ewan McGregor) workplace. The other is a polar opposite, outgoing, loquacious and may be even a predatory lawyer Wyat Bose (Hugh Jackman). Pulling pot together brings them even closer together. Is there a hidden agenda? Or so it seems but who’s the schemer and who the victim? No prizes for guessing correctly but this is where Deception takes off. Shade of Robert Walker and Farley Granger in that Hitchcock classic Strangers on a Train. There they swap murders. Here it involves the disappearance of one of the women. Actually, Wyatt gets Jonathan involved in a mysterious but exclusive sex club called The List, whose catch line is "getting intimate without introductions." Could the women be picking up the men? With women’s lib still going great guns it is also possible. Jonathan is new to the game but suddenly physical involvement leads to an emotional bond and Jonathan finds himself getting deeper into the maze. Meanwhile Wyatt is away from the Big Bad Apple that is New York. But when he returns, he projects a totally different exterior and even questions Jonathan’s bono fides. So far, so good. But when one of the hookers (Michelle Williams) disappears, scriptwriter Mark Bomback loses the plot and debutant director Marcel Langenberger isn’t able to put the narrative on even keel. The deception is
shortlived or just partial. What follows is quite lacklustre with
credibility being the biggest casualty. Dante Spinotti’s camerawork
helps to imbue an element of suspense but, in general, the latter half
is contrived. Even worse, the agony is unduly prolonged and its
108-minute duration seems endless. Clipping it by at least 20 minutes
would have made a difference. Hugh Jackman’s entry is impressive,
taking a cue from the Robert Walker persona The establishing shots too
are effective. But Ewan McGregor is somewhat inconsistent and his
transformation of character is far from convincing. Michelle Williams
is neither here nor there but the weak persona is responsible for this
glitch. Truly a deception on the viewer.
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