Real life is not all that much different from high school. While adults might not divide themselves into the neat cliques of The Breakfast Club, they do tend to run with those of the same social status. So just as in high school when one of the cool kids suddenly befriends a bookish nerd, you can be sure there’s an ulterior motive at play, the same situation played out in the adult world would raise similar warning flags. That’s what happens at the beginning of the 2008 film Deception — and there is indeed a cold calculation involved in the new friendship.
Plot summary (with possible spoilers): Jonathan McQuarry (played by Ewan McGregor) is an accountant whose job requires him to spend several days at different firms performing audits. As the film opens, Jonathan is going over a law firm’s books late at night when one of the attorneys comes in and starts talking to him. The man introduces himself as Wyatt Bose (Hugh Jackman), and the two immediately hit it off. In fact, they end up smoking a joint in the boardroom and talking well into the night.
The two meet again for tennis the next day, and it’s clear that Jonathan is completely in awe of Wyatt’s easy, confident manner, his wealth, and his way with women. On his own, Jonathan could never have what Wyatt has, but as Wyatt’s friend, perhaps he can experience some of the same things — which is precisely what happens after the two accidentally walk off with each other’s cell phones. The mistake can’t be ironed out right away, as Jonathan has taken off for London on business.
Jonathan receives a mysterious call from a woman who simply asks, “Are you free tonight?” and gives Jonathan a hotel name. Before he can explain that he’s not Wyatt, the woman hangs up. Jonathan goes to the rendezvous point, and quickly learns that the appointment is for sex. He goes through with it, surprised that the woman doesn’t care about his name, doesn’t talk much, and doesn’t require payment. Later, it’s revealed that Wyatt is part of a high-class sex club where members hook up in this fashion without bogging themselves down with personal details.
After talking to Wyatt and getting his permission to enjoy the club, Jonathan continues to go out for more hookups. On one occasion, his partner turns out to be a woman known only as “S” (Michelle Williams). He had actually seen the woman at the subway after smoking pot with Wyatt, and was already smitten with her. Jonathan convinces her to break club rules and talk to him instead of having sex, which leads to him falling even more deeply in love with her.
Everything goes to pieces, however, when Wyatt returns. He kidnaps S, threatening to kill her and frame Jonathan for the murder unless Jonathan transfers $20 million out of secret accounts from the next firm that he audits. Jonathan catches a break when he finds out Wyatt’s true identity, and from there starts hatching his own plan to foil the villain.
My Reaction: I usually like thrillers, so long as there’s an element of mystery to them. That wasn’t the case with Deception, however, as its very name gives away far too much. It puts the audience on notice right from the start that nothing should be taken at face value, and therefore, when the “reveal” about Wyatt came out, it wasn’t a surprise at all. Viewers are suspicious of him from the start, so it’s just exasperating that it takes Jonathan that long to catch up.
There were numerous other problems with the film as well, not the least of which was the fact that the whole sex club subplot was far more interesting and intriguing than a run-of-the-mill embezzlement scheme. The screenwriters would have fared much better sticking with the club aspect rather than dropping it like a hot potato at the midway point. But since the club was just a device used to get Jonathan and S together, there was really no way to fit it in after that initial setup.
The biggest problem of all, though, was the inanity of Wyatt’s scheme. It basically depended on Jonathan falling in love with S at first sight and wanting nothing more than to be with her. I don’t know about you, but that seems like a pretty shaky foundation to build a $20 million scheme on. Yes, there was the whole bit about framing Jonathan for the woman’s murder, but to get to that point in the first place required the falling in love part. How utterly ridiculous!
Overall, Deception lacked any kind of mystery, suspense, or plausibility, rendering it a complete waste of time. I give the film 4.0 stars out of 10, and recommend that you stay away from it!