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| Index | 29 reviews in total |
25 out of 28 people found the following review useful:
An attractive mystery with some drawbacks., 5 October 2002
Author:
Poseidon-3 from Cincinnati, OH
Hawn, in an attempt to shed her giggling, airheaded screen persona, chose to make this rather dark thriller. In it, she plays a woman who meets a charming man (Heard) by chance and is soon married to him and enjoying a life of bliss and parenthood (to adorable imp Peldon) while dealing in ancient treasures and jewelry. One day, he finds himself in danger of incrimination for a forgery and from there, the plot takes off in hyper-unreal twists and shocks. Hawn, despite some viewers' carping that they couldn't accept her in this type of role, is excellent. She gives a fully committed, intriguing performance. Heard is also extremely effective in his part. They are both damaged by a script that is just too difficult to fully buy and riddled with plot holes. That said, the film is still quite entertaining as an experiment in audience manipulation. More than once, spine-chilling moments of surprise and terror jolt the viewer, no matter how many times they are viewed. The film is geared for audience reaction, but, unfortunately, the logic of the plot doesn't hold up. It hangs together pretty well for the longest time, then gets way out of hand and is all too typical of the thriller films of this era. There also seems to be evidence of cuts (note the billing, but virtual absence of Straight and Robertson as Hawn's parents and the sudden disappearance of underused Bartlett from the story, though she is fourth billed.) On the plus side is a sumptuous and rich-looking production design and a haunting, exceptional music score from Thomas Newman. Newman uses the lower notes that his father found so useful, but creates a modern, unique sound. Fans who can let go of Goldie's PREVIOUS image should find enjoyment in the film along with those who just like to get jolted. Fans of water-tight, intelligent mysteries are in for a let-down. Sadly, Hawn hasn't really attempted to break the mold again since this, joining people like Bill Murray ("The Razor's Edge") who have had immense trouble breaking free of preconceived notions about their area of talent.
17 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
A Decent Thriller, Although Not Hard To Figure Out, 2 May 2006
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Author:
ccthemovieman-1 from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This is a pretty scary movie in parts with some good camera-work. It's
exciting to see a mostly hidden face in the shadows or an eye peeping
out of a crack in a doorway, etc. Both lead actors, Goldie Hawn and
John Heard (now there's an odd couple!) give credible performances.
Hawn is the innocent wife and Heard the deranged killer who uses
several identities.
Unfortunately, guessing some of the identities - - particularly the
third - isn't that hard and it can lessen some of the suspense for the
viewer near the end. There's a nice a chase scene at the end, too. As a
male, I get tired of the bad-husband routine Hollywood was particularly
enamored with around this era. You know, the "Sleeping With The Enemy"
stereotype.
Nothing super, but a passable thriller for one look.
14 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Goldie tries a thriller, 12 July 2006
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Author:
Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States
Dark, somber thriller about an art restorer Adrienne (Goldie Hawn)
meeting Jack Saunders (John Heard) and falling in love. They marry,
have a kid and are happy--until 6 years (or so) into the marriage he's
suddenly killed. Slowly Adrienne discovers her husband wasn't who she
thought he was...
Sort of a film noir. Hawn decided to take a chance on a dramatic role.
Unfortunately this film fizzled at the box office and Hawn herself
later said she made a mistake. I actually like the film. I liked it in
1991 and I still like it now 15 years later. It's got an intricate plot
and some very nice directorial touches (some of the scenes were
beautiful). Love their apartment too. There was also a very unusual but
effective music score and a few nice jolts in the movie too.
The acting varies. Heard is VERY good is his role. Unfortunately Hawn
isn't in hers. She's somber, quiet and too restrained. She seems very
uncomfortable in the role. She doesn't ruin the movie but she lessens
the impact--maybe it's a good thing that she never tried this again.
Also I noticed quite a few plot loopholes left dangling after the movie
was over. Still I found this engrossing and well-made. Worth catching.
I give it an 8.
14 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
A slow thriller that picks up momentum and ends with wow!, 20 November 2001
Author:
franklin_phraner from Alameda, CA
Don't read any of the criticisms until you've seen the movie. This is a fun ride if you just sit back and enjoy the first half hour of preparation. You may feel the urge to quit watching... don't. Goldie Hawn is a wonderful character actress. You might think that the story is implausible but in N.Y. everything is possible. Keep this mind and enjoy!
6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Formulaic, but watchable..., 26 October 2006
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Author:
MarieGabrielle from United States
Goldie Hawn has never been a favorite, I must admit, but that is all
the more reason to catch her in the one performance where she is not
quirky, superfluous or silly.
The theme of this story has been done before, but thanks to a fine
performance by John Heard, the character of Jack Saunders is intriguing
and foreboding. John Heard is an underrated actor who adds a somewhat
mischievous, ominous and sometimes comical overtone to his roles (You
may want to watch him in the earlier 1970's film "Chilly Scenes of
Winter", and there was also a film short wherein he portrayed
Fortunato, in Edgar Allen Poe's "Cask of Amontillado". He was
excellent).
Look for Ashley Peldon as the young daughter; Robin Bartlett, who is
underused as Heard's estranged mother, and Tom Irwin, as Hawn's
colleague from the art museum. The mystery is enough to keep you
watching, and overall Heard's performance makes it all worthwhile.
7/10.
6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Thriller starring Goldie Hawn and John Heard, 5 August 2006
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Author:
blanche-2 from United States
Adrienne and Jack meet, fall in love, marry, have a child, and live in
a wonderful New York apartment. Then Jack is killed in a car crash.
Slowly, things start to unravel for Adrienne in "Deceived," a 1991 film
starring Goldie Hawn and John Heard.
This is a highly derivative movie concerning fake museum pieces, fake
identity, and a double life, but it manages to be exciting and
occasionally scary. As other people have commented, there are plot
holes aplenty. Hawn and Heard are both marvelous in their roles, Hawn
for a change in a serious part. She shows she's as talented a
"straight" actress as she is a comedienne. The final big scene will
keep you on the edge of your seat, and the climax of it is a knockout.
This could have been one of the great movies if the script had been
tighter because it is very well directed and performed with some
excellent camera work and great music.
Despite script holes, I still found it entertaining. I wouldn't have
minded paying good money to see it in the theater, and it makes a
riveting rental.
6 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Goldie in a Great Serious Role, 19 January 2000
Author:
Petunia-2
Goldie Hawn dropped her bubbly personality to play the serious role of Adrienne, who is happily married, living in an upscale apartment, and has a lovely little girl. Jack Heard plays her devoted husband, Jack, or is he? As Adrienne's world crumbles, Goldie really makes you feel for her. I cannot describe details of the movie without giving away too much for the first-time viewer; it is one of those movies that after you see it once, you cannot watch it again for awhile because you know all twists and turns in the script. I will tell you this; Goldie is terrific in comedies and she was terrific in this one--she did a lot of acting with her eyes and gestures with her body; soon the viewer is on her side and aching to find out what is really going on. Jack Heard plays a good s.o.b. Robin Bartlett, best known for her turn in tv's "Mad About You" only has a few lines, just like in "City of Angels" and as usual, Robin's performance stays with you after the film has ended. Great acting by all; my only complaint is that the film is a bit too long.
5 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
watch out who you marry, 23 April 1999
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Author:
helpless_dancer from Broken Bow, Oklahoma
This is one of Goldie's finest. She played a woman who marries a man and has a perfect marriage for many years. Then one day she discovers something unusual about him. Very tense ending, I was on the edge of my seat. Watch this one alone, in a dark room, late at night.
6 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Goldie Hawn proves she is an actress., 13 April 2002
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Author:
fgunther (fschaer@nyc.rr.com) from Brooklyn, NY
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The plotting is banal, the usual "husband is not who he pretends to be, and
*possible spoiler* fakes his own death to escape being
caught".
But the concept has rarely been executed better, and Goldie Hawn is simply
outstanding here, with a truly fine supporting cast. The suspense builds
logically from one step to the next, with an absolute minimum of
contrivances. I was totally absorbed, especially as the "widow" slowly
unraveled her husband's deceptions. Possibly the best scene in this movie
was when she *possible spoiler* confronted her husband's pregnant new
"wife". It was done superbly, with an absolute minimum of phony
dramatics.
Too bad the ending couldn't have been done better, but, with the exception
of those last five minutes, this film is well worth the effort of
seeing.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Way too formulaic and uninteresting., 30 July 2008
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Author:
Boba_Fett1138 from Groningen, The Netherlands
This movie was way too formulaic for me to enjoy. It's a very standard
thriller by the numbers, that basically doesn't feature anything new or
surprising and is one that is like hundred of other genres movies,
especially like those made around the same time period.
The movie is not just bad because it's so formulaic, it perhaps is even
more due to the fact that the story is just so predictable. Seriously,
the big twist? Who didn't see that one coming? It's no surprise, it's
predictable and you just wait for it to happen. The movie often also
gets quite ridicules. The 'villain' of the movie is basically the worst
conman ever. He makes some gigantic mistakes and just does things that
make no sense what so ever for the movie its story. Some sequences are
obviously put in there to make him look evil but its so pointless all
and adds nothing to the story. The movie also made me think like; 'Why
didn't the Goldie Hawn character just called, or had gone to the
police'. Seriously, there were several occasions in the movie that she
could had easily convinced the police of her findings but instead she
puts herself and her little daughter needlessly in danger.
It's not like this movie is completely horrible or anything but for a
genre piece it isn't anything special enough. It's the reason why
you're still better off not watching this movie, even though you most
likely won't be bored when you still do so. Even though the story is
just bad and filled with way too many questions and plot holes, it's
still a fast moving one. The movie feels much shorter than it in fact
truly is.
And yes, Goldie Hawn is a good actress but to she seemed out of place
in this movie. She of course also isn't helped much by the movie its
lacking script. She's just too naive at times and for no reason very
cold and distant to the people she herself went to for help, to unravel
the movie its 'big and shocking' mystery. The movie just doesn't always
make you like her, or care about her character enough. The movie would
had also been better of if they didn't cast John Heard. Not that he's a
bad actor but it would had made the story perhaps a bit more surprising
and at least not as predictable as it is now, if they had cast a more
unknown name for the role. Besides, John Heard is a sort of actor that
often seems to play the same type of roles in movies and also his looks
never seem to change, not even now when he's getting older.
Perhaps only watchable once but even then it's a forgettable one.
5/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
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