6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
"Are you free tonight?" A simple enough question, but how Jonathan McQuarry answers it will change his life forever. A corporate auditor adrift in a sea of New York's power elite, Jonathan's work is his entire life. But, a chance meeting with Wyatt Bose, a charismatic corporate lawyer, introduces Jonathan to a decadent playground for Manhattan's executive upper crust. For these power brokers, whose 18-hour workdays leave no time for a personal life, there's "The List"—a sex club, of sorts, where the right cell-phone number and four simple words ("Are you free tonight?") can lead to an evening's sexual fulfillment. It's a world of "intimacy without intricacy," as Jonathan's first conquest (or vice versa) explains to him, and through The List Jonathan discovers a side of himself that he didn't know existed. But an affair with a ravishing and mysterious stranger known to Jonathan only by her first initial 'S', will expose him to yet another world he never imagined—one of betrayal, treachery and murder.
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, Michelle Williams, LisaGay Hamilton, Maggie QThriller | 100% |
Romance | 36% |
Drama | 19% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (locked)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
You were dead long before I met you. You just didn't know it yet.
Don't be deceived by Deception. The box would have you believe it's some sort of erotic
thriller, perhaps in the guise of Basic Instinct, but it's
not. The film's plot is tied to eroticism, and it plays a key component in developing the primary
action, but Deception is, at its core, a terribly average suspense thriller. If the film's
opening minutes don't clue you in that we're in for nothing more than an admittedly slick, fairly
well-made, decently acted, yet unimaginative picture, then you haven't seen all that many
movies. Featuring typical thriller credit typeface, standard thriller music, and the conventional
dark, foreboding thriller look, Deception greets perspective viewers with a face we've
met before and a handshake we've judged a hundred times. Movies like this aren't inherently
bad, and Deception is no exception. It's formula through and through, and there is
nothing necessarily
wrong with that. Films like these pad the resumés of its stars and crew, put a few bodies in
theater seats, and sell a few Blu-rays. The key is to make the film just good enough not to insult
audiences, and Deception walks that fine line but never crosses it. It's an enjoyable
enough movie, does a good job of holding audience attention in the face of predictability, ends as
we expect it to, and sufficiently kills two hours of your life with little to no regrets.
Me? Nothing. Just admiring my reflection in the conference table.
No deception here. Deception looks great on Blu-ray, the film's 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer sharp as a tack and a pleasure to watch. Deception is a dark movie but remains glossy and vibrant, thanks to some slick photography (the work of cinematographer Dante Spinotti shines through; he's worked on such films as The Insider, Heat, and L.A. Confidential) and nice, bright contrasts to the many dark corners of the film. Black levels are remarkable throughout, always an inky, deep black with not even a hint of anything but perfection. Detail is also uniformly excellent, whether we are seeing close-ups of the actors or more ordinary objects, such as columns in a subway station that feature excellent texture and a lifelike reproduction and depth. Much of the film is dark, with clothing, locales, and objects tending to be black and gray, particularly during the first half of the film, which consists of numerous nighttime sequences. However, the film brightens up considerably with a number of daytime scenes during the final act, providing plenty of eye-popping color. These sharp and lifelike daytime scenes furnish the transfer with strong, deep, highly detailed pictures, both near and far. The transfer is rarely soft, and flesh tones appear consistently accurate. If nothing else, Deception is a handsomely photographed film that looks wonderful on Blu-ray
Deception arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless surround sound audio track. The movie is a dialogue-heavy thriller with a plethora of sequences that add a bit of dramatic flair to the picture. The disc does an admirable job of creating an excellent atmosphere, whether we are in a bustling office with voices, the ringing of telephones, and other true-to-the-environment niceties, or in a dimly lit club with pulsating beats and hard-hitting lows that surround viewers and place them firmly in the midst of the action. Bass plays a role throughout the film, as several scenes are accompanied by some impressive lows. One scene in particular, found in chapter 16, will rattle your windows and send your pets scurrying for cover. Dialogue holds up very well, even during the loudest scenes where the music never tones down too much in favor of the dialogue; the two play in great harmony one against the other. The quieter scenes feature the strongest dialogue reproduction with a crisp, center-focused authority, emanating from the speaker with just the right volume and intensity. Surrounds are never overly active, but they do work hard at creating seamless environments, much like those described above. Deception does not offer the most robust soundtrack, but it is certainly no slouch as it admirably moves the action forward.
Deception reveals its secrets on Blu-ray through a handful of bonus materials. Starting things off is a commentary track with director Marcel Langenegger. The director goes back and forth between describing the action on-screen and discussing why we are seeing and hearing what is in the film. Langenegger seems somewhat apprehensive and not quite sure what to say. He offers some fine insights, but the track is rather haphazard and is a tough listen. In his defense, this isn't a terrible first effort, not only for a film, but for a commentary track. I look forward to seeing what he does in the future. A Passionate Process: Dissecting 'Deception' is a picture-in-picture track that plays over the film for those of you with Bonus View (Blu-ray profile 1.1) enabled machines. Showcasing various aspects of the filmmaking process, from special effects to casting, each segment is available to view individually (presented in 1080i high definition) and separate from the film for those without the required equipment. The track plays over the film in a rather large box on the bottom left-hand side of the movie. There are 14 features total. Exposing 'Deception:' The Making of the Film (1080i, 18:18) is, as described, a basic feature where the cast and crew talk up the film and one another, featuring behind-the-scenes and film footage in the process. Club Sexy (1080i, 10:14) takes a look at the world of private sex clubs, how they were researched to make the film more realistic, and how the idea was implemented into the film. Rounding out the extras are two deleted scenes (1080p, 2:15), an alternate ending (1080p, 3:06), all with optional director commentary, and 1080p trailers for What Happens in Vegas and Street Kings.
Deception may be the very definition of Hollywood mediocrity. Hardly viewed in theaters, failing miserably to recoup it's small budget, and barely registering a bleep on all but the most hardcore of filmgoers' radar screens, Deception is neither the next great thing, nor is it complete rubbish that will sweep next year's Razzie Awards. It just sort of "is," a description that, sadly, fits far too many movies these days. Featuring two stars who have done better, and will continue to do better in the future, a first-time director (Marcel Langenegger) looking to make his mark in Hollywood, and a script that leaves little to the imagination, Deception is an average, forgettable film that does nothing to stand above the crowd. 20th Century Fox brings another of their films to Blu-ray with stellar results. Featuring a very cinematic, pleasing transfer, a solid lossless audio track, and a fairly ordinary set of supplements, This Blu-ray edition of Deception will please anyone who chooses to check it out. Deception makes for a nice Saturday night rental.
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