Deceiver (1997)

Textile company heir Wayland is accused of murder of a prostitute named Elizabeth, whose body was found cut in two in the park. The murder is investigated by tough detective Kennesaw and ... See full summary »

Directors:

Jonas Pate, Josh Pate

Writers:

Jonas Pate, Josh Pate

Stars:

Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Michael Rooker

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tim Roth	...	Wayland
Chris Penn	...	Braxton
Michael Rooker	...	Kennesaw
Renée Zellweger	...	Elizabeth
Ellen Burstyn	...	Mook
Rosanna Arquette	...	Mrs. Kennesaw
Don Winston	...	Warren
Michael Parks	...	Dr. Banyard
Mark Damon	...	Wayland's Father
J.C. Quinn	...	Priest
Jody Wilhelm	...	Mrs. Wayland
Ocie Pouncie	...	Boogie
Bob Hungerford	...	Jebby
Genevieve Butler	...	Mary Kennesaw
Chelsea Butler	...	Chelsea Kennesaw

Storyline

Textile company heir Wayland is accused of murder of a prostitute named Elizabeth, whose body was found cut in two in the park. The murder is investigated by tough detective Kennesaw and his less experienced partner Braxton. Wayland is a heavy drinker and compulsive liar, he is prone to memory losses and periods of heavy violence. He is rich enough to access necessary information, and he gets the interrogators' own dark secrets - Kennesaw is angry about affairs his wife had and had let off steam with Elizabeth, and Braxton has gambling debts with Mook, who is demanding payment.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | textile company | violence | secret | prostitute | 

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Taglines:

There are two sides to every lie.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Official site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

30 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Earl Watt

Filming Locations:

Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$279,103 (USA) (30 January 1998)

Gross:

$545,622 (USA) (6 February 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

MDP Worldwide

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min 93 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of the character played by Renee Zellweger,"Elizabeth Loftus" is a reference to the distinguished psychologist of the same name, noted for her studies in clinically created false memories.

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Quotes

[first lines]
James Walter Wayland: I'm cutting across the park, just below the reservoir. It's a nice night. I feel like walking. I met a girl on the path I knew. We had a brief conversation, then I continued on. I never saw her again.

User Reviews

badly flawed high baroque murder thriller

This has hints of Abel Ferrara about it (esp. the welcome appearance of the late and lamented Chris Penn from Ferrara's 'The Funeral.') I've seen this twice now, and am still not quite sure who really murdered Elizabeth. It doesn't really matter, I suppose, but there's a sense here in which style predominates a bit too strongly over substance. Michael Rooker & Tim Roth overact a bit - so the steadying presence of Chris Penn is helpful here. I'd liked to have known more about Roth's upbringing and so forth than we're granted. The scenes of him with his parents & friends are some of the best - all that baloney with lie detectors in dimly lit rooms becomes a bit dreary after a while.

Nice to see 1) Michael Parks (one of the nastiest villains in Twin Peaks) - here confirming one's idea that psychiatrists and psychologists are easily more strange and conflicted than their patients, and 2) Mark Damon - most famous in American cinema from Roger Corman's Fall of the House of Usher way back in 1960! Worth an outing if you should ever get bored with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but hardly worth all the effort you need to expend in an attempt to 'work out the story.' (By the way, are all American police really like this?)