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DECEIVER
Review by Gordon Justesen
Stars: Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Michael Rooker, Rene
Zellweger, Ellen Burstyn, Rosanna Arquette
Directors: Jonas & Joshua Pate
Audio: English Dolby Surround
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1, Standard 1.33:1
Studio: MGM
Features: Theatrical Trailer
Length: 102 Minutes
Release Date: April 16, 2002
“Isn't
it past your bedtime? You can get into a lot of trouble being out this late.”
“That's
the idea.”
Film
***1/2
At
the heart of Deceiver is a maze of a psychological mind game that pulls
you in as many directions as possible. Needless to say, you will most likely be
caught off guard by the numerous twists. You either believe the plot twists or
you don't, such is the case with a lot of thrillers these days, but with Deceiver,
I allowed myself to be pulled in any direction, since I was practically engulfed
in the suspense, as well as the atmosphere. The sharp directing and style of
this noir thriller looks as if it was inspired by a David Lynch movie, though it
thankfully doesn't rip any of his films off. Deceiver is a pure
cinematic enigma, and a well put-together one at that.
The
film takes place mostly in a police interrogation room, in that of Charleston,
SC (a much inspired setting) where a murder suspect is being questioned and
tested by two detectives. Headlining the film's stellar cast is Tim Roth, one
of the great actors of his generation, as James Waylard, a very rich, but
unemployed Princeton graduate who is the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of
a local prostitute. The cops questioning him are Braxton (Chris Penn) and
Kennesaw (Michael Rooker). They start out by giving Waylard a typical polygraph
test, which he feels he responds to quite comfortably, though the cops demand a
more than one testing. Over the course of three tension-filled days, Wayland is
forced to recall the random encounters he had with the murder victim; a
prostitute named Elizabeth (Rene Zellweger).
We
do get frequent flashbacks of Wayland talking with Elizabeth, which were on more
than one occasion…but that's not all we get. What starts out as a
recollection of events soon turns into a sick diabolical series of mind games
instigated by Wayland, acquiring an IQ of 151, who taps into the inner demons of
Braxton and Kennesaw. Braxton, we learn, has a gambling vice and is deep in debt
to a local bookie (Ellen Burstyn), and the suspect even dares to question
Kennesaw about his violent temper thrown at his suffering wife (Rosanna Arquette),
and his suspected instances of infidelity. Wayland has a lot going for him in
terms of excusing himself of the entire investigation. In addition to being very
smart, he is quite rich and loaded, being the son of a wealthy textile mogul. He
also happens to acquire a bit of a good alibi, as it is revealed that he suffers
from a case of epilepsy, which under extreme circumstances, can cause him to
become catatonic, as well as display extremely violent reactions.
The
primary pleasure factor in Deceiver is the knockout performance by Tim
Roth. It is simply mesmerizing to see Roth, a British actor, capture an
impeccable and precise accent for a character that he makes all his own. He did
it before in Reservoir Dogs, the first film I saw him in, and at the time
I didn't know he was from England. Roth is simply one of the great chameleon
actors the cinema will ever have the pleasure of, and his work in Deceiver
is a prime illustration of how good he really is. Penn and Rooker, mostly seen
in supporting roles, deliver intense performances as the cops who are put on the
spot, and Zellweger, in her brief appearances, turns what could've come off as
a stock caricature into a very memorable one.
The
film is the project of twin brothers Jonas and Joshua Pate, who have created a
virtuoso and deeply atmospheric psychological thriller that ticks like a time
bomb, leading up to a explosive finale. This film came and went in its initial
release. I first discovered it on VHS, and am now happy to enjoy it all over
again in the digital format. If you're a fan of suspense, I recommend this
highly and will as far as to tell you that you will not be disappointed.
MGM
has delivered their usual dosage of goods into a mostly decent video
presentation. This is film that is totally in love with its style and
camerawork, and the anamorphic presentation captures this aspect very nicely.
The presentation suffers only from a bit of image cropping during the opening
credits, and a couple occasions of softness, which is quite brief, and doesn't
cause any distraction from the overall enjoyment. The standard version is
included, but this is one flick you should only watch in the widescreen format.
It was sorely messed up on VHS.
I
was completely caught by surprised by the quality of the lone 2.0 audio mix
offered on this release. Since a 2.0 track is limited in areas that a superb 5.1
is not, the track on Deceiver shines in its capabilities, picking up side
channel sound very clearly, delivering dialogue as crisp as can be, and really
heightening the jolt in moments of tension and suspense. MGM has really
delivered a pleasant surprise in this presentation.
Only
a trailer…but a good one. It does a superb job at not spoiling anything, and
it makes you want to check out the movie indeed, so I give an extra point for
that.
Summary: