Deception

Prior to its lame and unfathomable climax, Deception is enjoyable on a campy level. In fact, the only thing wrong with the film before its final act is Ewan McGregor's half-assed lead performance. The film benefits quite a bit from its very good cinematography and its intriguing plot. The aspects related to the sex club are interesting in terms of how they unfold, even though many will probably be disappointed in the fact that the erotic scenes aren't as steamy as they may hope.

I definitely disagree with the overwhelmingly negative response to this film, not because Deception is a good movie, but because it isn't bad either. It manages to be mostly involving, even when there are instances in which you can see plot developments coming. There is a tense scene in which we anxiously watch a progress bar on a computer, and the scene is made that much more uncomfortably suspenseful when a character enters the room and sits across from our main character, watching him. It's one of Deception's several effective moments.

On the downside, though, McGregor's American accent is sloppy as heck, and he's totally unconvincing. Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams do well in their respective roles (with Williams, in particular, coming across as nicely subdued), but their work is still not enough to counteract the severely deficient lead performance. Also, as many have pointed out, the final act is incredibly convoluted (though I still insist I've seen worse contrivances in other films). The climax involves someone managing to show up in another continent and finding an exact location, and it also involves drastic transformations for TWO characters, neither of which is believable, and both of which are employed as an artifice to reach the unlikely resolution. The MOST laughable thing about the entire ending, though, is the decision that our "hero" makes in regards to the money.

Are you free tonight? Well, if you ARE, it may or may not be a wise choice to spend part of your evening watching this film. You could certainly call this "trashy entertainment" and if that's enough to satisfy you, then this should do the trick. And there's no shame in partaking from time to time in trashy entertainment (it can be even be necessary if you lead an otherwise stressful life), and I'll be the first to admit I had a reasonable amount of mindless fun during the first two acts of this movie, even if I can also recognize its major flaws. Yes, if it hadn't starred three well-known actors, it probably would've played on late-night cable, and that's because as much as it has its moments, it's ultimately nothing special.

5/10