Deceiver
2.5/4
Starring: Tim Roth, Michael Rooker, Chris Penn, Rosanna Arquette, Ellen Burstyn
Rated R for Violence, Language and Some Sexual Content
The first time I saw "Deceiver," I got lost fairly early. I took a chance and watched it a second time, and while I wasn't confused (usually), I can't recommend it. For most of its running time, it's a decent enough psychological film noir, although it's by no means perfect. Then at the end, the film loses all credibility with a predictable and unbelievable twist.
A woman has been found brutally murdered. Her body has been cut in two and the pieces were hidden miles apart. The only lead the police have is a phone number found on the girl's body. That number belongs to James Weyland (Roth), a wealthy heir. Two detectives, Kennesaw (Rooker) and Braxton (Penn), are conducting a polygraph test on him, but Weyland is smarter than they think he is (his IQ is 151 while Kennesaw's is 122 and Braxton's is only 102), and it isn't long before he turns the tables on them.
"Deceiver" is uneven. Some of it is interesting (the film always takes off whenever Roth is on screen). Other scenes, such as the time that is devoted to the cop's personal lives, isn't as compelling. The film is at its best during the interrogation scenes; they're propulsive and effectively acted. Watching these three characters match wits is very entertaining.
I've always admired Tim Roth as an actor (and as a director...after "The War Zone," I'm eagerly awaiting his next directorial project, although he sadly doesn't have anything in the pipeline apparently). He's extremely versatile (he played Thade in Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes" reboot, and the lead in "Reservoir Dogs. Nuff said). As Wayland, he's at his best. Wayland is arrogant, but also intelligent. He's also afflicted with temporal lobe epilepsy, which makes him prone to blackouts and violence when he has a seizure.
Character actors Michael Rooker and Chris Penn are also good, but sadly their parts just aren't as well written as Roth's, and as a result, they come across as rather dull outside of the interrogation room. It's not their fault; both of them have proven time and again that they can act (Penn was terrific in "Rush Hour" and also starred in "Reservoir Dogs" with Roth, and Rooker is a solid character actor). Also worth mentioning is Renee Zellwegger. This film was made when she had just hit stardom with "Jerry Maguire," but here, she's little more than a plot device (Zellwegger does a good job, though).
The film was directed by Jonas and Josh Pate, and it, like the film as a whole, is uneven. Some of what they do is clever; I liked how in the opening scenes, they had the camera from Wayland's point of view (they return to this shot frequently throughout the film), and I also liked how they showed that one character is lying because his voice-over is different than what the physical character is saying.
"Deceiver" is really a mixed bag. I'm almost tempted to recommend the film because the scenes in the interrogation room are so much fun. But the film takes too long with Kennesaw and Braxton's personal lives, and the ending is pathetic. Still, for those who like mind games and psychological thrillers, you could do worse.
Starring: Tim Roth, Michael Rooker, Chris Penn, Rosanna Arquette, Ellen Burstyn
Rated R for Violence, Language and Some Sexual Content
The first time I saw "Deceiver," I got lost fairly early. I took a chance and watched it a second time, and while I wasn't confused (usually), I can't recommend it. For most of its running time, it's a decent enough psychological film noir, although it's by no means perfect. Then at the end, the film loses all credibility with a predictable and unbelievable twist.
A woman has been found brutally murdered. Her body has been cut in two and the pieces were hidden miles apart. The only lead the police have is a phone number found on the girl's body. That number belongs to James Weyland (Roth), a wealthy heir. Two detectives, Kennesaw (Rooker) and Braxton (Penn), are conducting a polygraph test on him, but Weyland is smarter than they think he is (his IQ is 151 while Kennesaw's is 122 and Braxton's is only 102), and it isn't long before he turns the tables on them.
"Deceiver" is uneven. Some of it is interesting (the film always takes off whenever Roth is on screen). Other scenes, such as the time that is devoted to the cop's personal lives, isn't as compelling. The film is at its best during the interrogation scenes; they're propulsive and effectively acted. Watching these three characters match wits is very entertaining.
I've always admired Tim Roth as an actor (and as a director...after "The War Zone," I'm eagerly awaiting his next directorial project, although he sadly doesn't have anything in the pipeline apparently). He's extremely versatile (he played Thade in Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes" reboot, and the lead in "Reservoir Dogs. Nuff said). As Wayland, he's at his best. Wayland is arrogant, but also intelligent. He's also afflicted with temporal lobe epilepsy, which makes him prone to blackouts and violence when he has a seizure.
Character actors Michael Rooker and Chris Penn are also good, but sadly their parts just aren't as well written as Roth's, and as a result, they come across as rather dull outside of the interrogation room. It's not their fault; both of them have proven time and again that they can act (Penn was terrific in "Rush Hour" and also starred in "Reservoir Dogs" with Roth, and Rooker is a solid character actor). Also worth mentioning is Renee Zellwegger. This film was made when she had just hit stardom with "Jerry Maguire," but here, she's little more than a plot device (Zellwegger does a good job, though).
The film was directed by Jonas and Josh Pate, and it, like the film as a whole, is uneven. Some of what they do is clever; I liked how in the opening scenes, they had the camera from Wayland's point of view (they return to this shot frequently throughout the film), and I also liked how they showed that one character is lying because his voice-over is different than what the physical character is saying.
"Deceiver" is really a mixed bag. I'm almost tempted to recommend the film because the scenes in the interrogation room are so much fun. But the film takes too long with Kennesaw and Braxton's personal lives, and the ending is pathetic. Still, for those who like mind games and psychological thrillers, you could do worse.
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