Deception is a 2008 drama/romance/thriller film, directed by Marcel Langenegger and written by Mark Bomback. It stars Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, and Michelle Williams. The film was released on April 25, 2008 in the United States.
Plot summary
Accountant Jonathan McQuarry (Ewan McGregor) is an auditor with little to no social life. One night while working late in a boardroom he is interrupted by a lawyer, Wyatt Bose (Hugh Jackman), who befriends him and offers him marijuana. After a long conversation, Jonathan takes the subway home where he has a brief encounter with a blond woman (Michelle Williams) while waiting on the train. Upon returning home he notices a pipe in his bedroom is leaking and leaving a stain.
Jonathan contacts Wyatt the next day and they play tennis after work. Afterward they stop by Wyatt's lavish apartment where Jonathan borrows an expensive suit. They meet again for lunch the next day and upon leaving, Wyatt intentionally takes Jonathan's mobile phone instead of his own, forcing a trade. He mentions he will be in London on business for the next few weeks.
When Jonathan realizes the phones have been switched he attempts to contact Wyatt but does not reach him. He is soon contacted by a woman (Natasha Henstridge) who asks if he is free that night. He informs her that he is and agrees to meet her. When she arrives they proceed directly to a hotel room to have sex and Jonathan realizes that Wyatt must be on some type of exclusive list.
When Wyatt calls the next day, he encourages Jonathan to continue his participation with other list members. Upon doing so he has an encounter with an older woman (Charlotte Rampling) who explains more of the list's rules: the initiator pays for the room, no names are exchanged, there is no conversation and no rough play. Participants are always anonymous, although Jonathan does spot the older woman on the cover of Forbes. He continues to participate over the next few weeks with several partners.
One night after initiating another encounter, Jonathan is surprised to find that his partner is the blond woman he met while waiting for the train. When she begins to undress he stops her and tells her that they had met once before. He requests that she have dinner with him and they order room service and talk for hours. The next day Jonathan rejects other callers from the list but when the blond woman calls again they agree to meet for dinner in Chinatown. They then proceed to a hotel where she requests some ice. When Jonathan returns to the room she is gone and there is blood on the bedsheets. Someone knocks him out from behind and when he wakes up the bed has been made. He contacts the police and explains to the Detective (Lisa Gay Hamilton) that the woman is missing but that he has little to no information about her. She doubts his story and his sanity. Jonathan tries to trace Wyatt and is told that he is not known at the law firm or the apartment.
Upon returning home Jonathan is surprised to find Wyatt waiting for him and demanding that he steal $20 million from the corporation he will begin to audit in a few days. Jonathan having a level 4 access and the money being dirty and belongs in the CEO's slush fund. Jonathan does so but only because he fears for the safety of the blond woman. He completes a wire transfer to a bank in Spain in his name but secretly adds Wyatt's name as co-signer. When he returns home he notices that a picture Wyatt had sent of the blond woman being held captive was taken in his apartment before the pipe started leaking. He realizes that she must have been a conspirator and wisely avoids his apartment which explodes when the superintendent enters to fix the pipe.
Now in Madrid, Wyatt impersonates Jonathan and attempts to withdraw the funds from the bank, but he is denied access because of the co-signer.
Wyatt leaves the bank without any money and outside the bank receives a call asking him if he was "available tonight?", realizing that Jonathan was not dead, Jonathan appears from behind. The plot unfolds. Jonathan agrees to help him withdraw the funds but only if Wyatt splits it with him. Jonathan and Wyatt having swapped identities cash in the $20 million in two $10 million suitcase. It is not clear how Jonathan got a good quality fake US passport with his picture but Wyatt's name in such short notice.
After the transaction is complete, Wyatt attempts to shoot Jonathan but before he is able to do so he is shot by the blond woman who quickly leaves. Jonathan leaves the money behind to pursue her and asks her to talk to him but the girl tells him that she wants to call it off and apologizes to him as she didn't know Wyatt was going to kill him. The girl gets into a cab and leaves as Jonathan watches her go.
On the other hand when the detective checks the death investigation report of Mr. Lewman (superintendent who enters to fix the pipe) is surprised to find the reality.
In Madrid, Jonathan again crosses path with the blond woman and they exchange smiles. The film comes to a close as Jonathan walks to her and she stands waiting for him.
Cast
Critical reception
The film received substantially negative reviews from critics. As of April 27, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 13% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 63 reviews - with the consensus that the film is "a middling, predictable potboiler."[1] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 32 out of 100, based on 22 reviews.[2]
Box office
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $2.3 million in 2,001 theaters in the United States and Canada, averaging only $1,155 per theater and ranking #10 at the box office.[3] As of September 22, 2009, the film has grossed $4,598,506 in the United States and Canada while grossing $13,114,439 in foreign countries adding to a total of $17,712,945.
References
See also
External links
