Lies & Illusions (2009)

Director:

Tibor Takács

Writer:

Eric James (written by)

Release Date:

27 August 2009 (Israel)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

A writer, torn between two lovers is hunted by spies in search of stolen diamonds.

Plot:

A self help author is hunted by thugs who believe the writer holds millions of dollars in diamonds stolen by his dead fiancée. |

Cast

Christian Slater	...	Wes Wilson
Cuba Gooding Jr.	...	Isaac
Sarah Ann Schultz	...	Samantha
Christa Campbell	...	Nicole Williams
Robert Giardina	...	Boone
Al Madrigal	...	Martin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kelly Hyde	...	Bank Teller
Lochlyn Munro	...	Andrew Laughlin
Dominic Salvatore	...	Boy at Bank
Tracy Schornick	...	Bank President

Also Known As:

Alicia's Book (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Spokane, Washington, USA

Company:

Grand Army Entertainment

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene where Nicole enters the hotel room after Samantha kills the goon, the door light flashes red, which only happens when the key is invalid, yet in the next shot she is seen opening the door.

Quotes:

Wes Wilson: Cops. And I've got the murder weapon... perfect.

Movie Connections:

References Miller's Crossing (1990)

Was this supposed to be funny?

I could understand if this was a funny crime film where all the villains are cartoonish bumblers. This is played for real. We have Slater, a con-author who tells everyone how to run their lives but has made a ruin of his own. He runs afoul of Gooding, playing a prissy, effeminate, yet somehow feared smuggler of all kinds of stuff and his gang of over-age thugs. The head thug is a dead ringer for Patrick Troughton, the second actor to play Dr. Who. As such its hard to take him too seriously. The others are kind of old to be slapping people around. Yet, this gang is talented: they manage to shoot people, beat up men and women savagely, shoot up a hotel, crash their car, all in broad daylight and in public without attracting the attention of a single cop. And, like the evil killer in a slasher movie, they are unstoppable. No matter how fast or where Slater runs, how well he hides, how many people are witnesses, the crooks always catch him and beat him up. After a while the chase scenes become pointless since you know Slater is doomed from the start. And no matter how savagely he or his girlfriends are thrashed, a minute later they are just fine, broken ribs and fractured jaws forgotten, with maybe a little cut on the forehead to address. If the film had been played as a take-off on other gangster films, it could have been funny and entertaining. As it is, it's a plot hole ridden mess. Maybe I'm too critical. Others seem to enjoy it.