Deception (I) (2008)

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

Director:

Marcel Langenegger

Writer:

Mark Bomback

Stars:

Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ewan McGregor	...	Jonathan McQuarry
Hugh Jackman	...	Wyatt Bose
Michelle Williams	...	S
Bruce Altman	...	Lawyer #1
Andrew Ginsburg	...	Lawyer #2
Stephanie Roth Haberle	...	Assistant Controller
Christine Kan	...	Tennis Player
Dante Spinotti	...	Herr Kleiner / Mr. Moretti
Karolina Muller	...	Waitress (as Karolina Müller)
Agnete Oernsholt	...	Woman at Waldorf Astoria
Melissa Rae Mahon	...	Velvet Rope Dancer #1
Rachel Montez Collins	...	Velvet Rope Dancer #2
Holly Cruikshank	...	Velvet Rope Dancer #3
Deborah Yates	...	Tango Dancer
Bill Camp	...	Clancey Controller

Storyline

Cat and mouse. Jonathan McQuarry is an auditor in Manhattan, moving from office to office checking their books. While working late, a smooth and well-dressed man named Wyatt Bose chats Jonathan up, offers him a joint, and soon they're pals. When their cell phones are accidentally swapped, Jonathan answers Wyatt's phone to a series of women asking if he's free tonight. Jonathan discovers it's a sex club: busy powerful people meet each other anonymously in hotels. Jonathan falls for one of the club members, whom he knows only as "S," whom he's also seen on a subway. When she goes missing, patterns emerge and Jonathan faces demands involving violence and lots of money.

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Plot Keywords:

sex | disappearance | friend | lawyer | cell phone | 

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Taglines:

When you're in this world, no one is who they seem, and everyone is playing the game.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, language, brief violence and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

20th Century Fox [United States] Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 April 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

The List

Filming Locations:

Bryant Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£255,958 (UK) (25 April 2008)

Gross:

$4,597,760 (USA) (20 June 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Seed Productions, Rifkin-Eberts, Kanzaman

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The match that Ewan McGregor's character sees is a real football match between two teams from Uruguay, which took place in 2006. The teams are called "Nacional" (white blue and red shirt) and "Peñarol" (black and yellow shirt).

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Goofs

At the end of the movie when Ewan McGregor's character walks to the Madrid square to meet Michelle Williams' character, in the first shot Ewan wears a white T-shirt under his green V-neck sweater and in the next shots he doesn't.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Simone Wilkinson: Are you free tonight?

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Crazy Credits

The end credit sequence initially lists Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor as "Ewan Jackman" and "Hugh McGregor" before forming the correct names.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Episode dated 26 April 2008 (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Keys to the Kingdom"
Performed by Unkle
Written by James Lavelle (PRS), Richard File (PRS), Christopher Allen Goss (as Chris Goss) (PRS),
Gavin Clarke (as Gavin Clark) (PRS)
Published by Copyright Control/Baby Cole Music/Music Sales
Courtesy of Surrender All Ltd.
By Arrangement with Zync Music Inc.
www.unkle.com

User Reviews

Deception

The trailer of this movie looked interesting.

The story is about an accountant Wyatt Bose (Hugh Jackman) who meets Jonathan McQuarry (Ewan McGregor) – who in turn introduces Wyatt to a secret sex club. Wyatt falls in love with one of his acquaintances S (Michelle Williams) and gets involved in a blackmail by Jonathan who wants Wyatt to transfer a huge sum from a few bank account to Spain. Wyatt does that. Jonathan plants a bomb and kills Wyatt. I will leave the story here and not play spoilt sports.

The story starts with a psychological angle, moves to sexual contours, deceive, and blackmail. The movie moves slowly throughout, gains maximum interest in the deceiving part – holds your attention, but remaining times – it is just a usual dull affair.

Both Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor look great and act well. But the style of narration does not build up that interest to make a great cinema of a good story like this.

First time director Marcel Langenegger does a decent job in delivering a visually good cinema – good closeups, good acting, good music, good movements of camera – I think he has a good eye for making better movies.

I think there is a problem with the scripting of the movie. It takes the first 40 minutes to build the story, and gives 10 minutes of interest and falls back to a mundane thriller.

My rating started from 4.5 at the beginning of the movie, increased to 6.5 when it reached the deceive part, but pulmetted down to 5 by the end of the movie.

(Star 4.75 out of 10)