Deception

  • Review Date: September 26, 2008
  • R
  • Genre: Thriller
  • 2008
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Implausible, mature thriller about a sex club.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie focuses on anonymous sexual gratification, money motivated blackmail, and murder. The male leads are involved in a sex club called the List, which pairs male and female executives for steamy encounters in high-class hotels. There is a date-rape scene and a shot showing a woman with her throat cut.

  • Wyatt uses Jonathon to get what he wants. The people in the sex club use one another.
  • Violence against women, including a scene of date rape and a woman shown with her throat cut.
  • Sex is the point of half of the movie. A sex club allows people to have anonymous sex, and they do -- a lot. Wyatt tells "S" that she can't refuse him sex if he gives her money.
  • Numerous variations of the f-word, used lewdly and as an expletive.
  • Slick hotels, $4,000 suits -- money is more important than actual products.
  • Wyatt and Jonathon smoke a joint in the first scene, making them fast friends. Alcohol use and sex go hand in hand.

What's the story?

Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor star as cat and mouse in this stylized thriller about an accountant who is befriended by a mysterious, powerful stranger. After mistakenly switching cell phones, the naive Jonathon (McGregor) finds himself seduced by Wyatt's (Jackman) involvement in a sex club called the List, as he takes calls on Wyatt's phone. When a female caller asks if he is free that night Jonathon steps into a world where beautiful, professional women and handsome men engage in one-night trysts without strings. Jonathon soon falls for a girl named "S" (Michelle Williams) and becomes irrevocably embroiled in Wyatt's larger scheme of blackmail and murder.


Is it any good?

 

Though it's shot in a slick, glamorous manner and features some real star power, DECEPTION is riddled with spoken cliches and implausible plot twists. Not only is the sex club an unlikely fantasy, where women are as hungry for sex and willing to engage in "intimacy without intricacy," but Jonathon's naivete is very hard to swallow. Perhaps it's McGregor's Scottish brogue sneaking through his Flatbush inflection that makes the character a bit of a joke. Or his nerdy character's unlikely romance with the stunning "S."

There are some lovely shots of New York City, and Michelle Williams does a great job. But the plot is rather predictable, and the ending is not surprising. If only the actors had been given more to work with -- and the women hadn't been portrayed as sex-starved automatons.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about lust and greed. What drives Wyatt to befriend Jonathon? Why does Jonathon accept the phone calls on Wyatt's phone? When does the desire for money overtake compassion? Is this movie realistic? Why or why not?


This review was written by Joly Herman
Parent of 16 and 16 year old
June 2, 2009
 
Well it was quite...steamy. The whole thing is about sex. I wouldn't suggest my kids see it, but I wouldn't stop them if they wanted to.

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This review was written by Joly Herman
Studio:Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Director:Marcel Langenegger
Cast:Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams
Genre:Thriller
Run time:108 minutes
Theatrical release date:April 25, 2008
DVD release date:September 23, 2008
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:sexual content, language, brief violence and some drug use.

This review was written by Joly Herman
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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