Deception (2008) Movie Review

Had a chance to checkout Deception which is coming to DVD at the end of the month. The film stars Hugh Jackman who is one of my favorite 'newish' leading men in film. The plot of this crime thriller goes like so;

An accountant (McGregor) is introduced to a mysterious sex club known as The List by his lawyer friend (Jackman). But in this new world, he soon becomes the prime suspect in a woman's disappearance and a multi-million dollar heist.

The story behind Deception is a good one and definitely original and it has two very strong lead characters in it in the form of Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackman. Unfortunately this doesnt save the film from having some serious flaws. The story although truly unique and interesting is poorly executed and although it starts out very strong and builds some great intrigue when it hits its peek and the truth comes out.. it fizzles.

Deception is definitely well shot and well edited and Hugh and Ewan both deliver stand up performances. That said this thriller tries to hard to thrill and the twists and turns are weak at best and the ending was a major let down. Now that I have been awfully critical it is worth pointing out this movie is not without its merits. It is definitely worth a rental but dont expect to be seeing 'The Usual Suspects'. The first 3/4's of the film are definitely filled with intrigue and great character development just dont be surprised if the ending leaves you feeling a bit ripped off.

Its a truly fantastic story concept that tries hard to deliver and misses the mark in the end. A rental for those of you who like me love thrillers with twists and turns but if your into action packed thrillers with clear storylines you will want to avoid this one. I would say that although the movie is nowhere near as good as such classics as The Usual Suspects it is on par with films like Anthony Hopkins FRACTURE. So use that as a meter when seeing this film.