Deception

USA 2000

Reviewed by Geoffrey Macnab

Synopsis

Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.

US, the present. Rudy, a convicted car thief, and Nick are cell mates. Nick is pen pals with Ashley, a beautiful young woman he has never met. During a riot in the dining hall, a prisoner with a grudge attacks Rudy. Nick is stabbed trying to defend Rudy and appears to die.

Rudy is released. He sees Ashley waiting outside the prison. He pretends to be Nick, for whom she is waiting. They become lovers. Ashley's psychopathic truck-driver brother Gabriel knows that Nick used to work in a Michigan casino. Using Nick's inside information, Gabriel and his gang plan to rob the casino. They refuse to believe Rudy when he tells them he is only impersonating Nick. Realising that they'll kill him otherwise, he carries on the deception. He learns that Ashley is actually Gabriel's lover and co-conspirator.

The thieves, each dressed as Santa Claus, turn up at the casino. They find the money, but the heist goes wrong. In the ensuing shoot-out, only Gabriel and Ashley escape, with Rudy as their prisoner. They are about to kill him when the real Nick appears. He reveals that he staged his own death and, together with Ashley, plotted the robbery. Nick and Ashley now kill Gabriel. Rudy foils Nick and Ashley's attempt on his life and kills them both. Left with all the money and still dressed as Santa Claus, he makes his way home.

Review

Lightness of touch is not exactly director John Frankenheimer's trademark. Whether dealing with global terrorism (Black Sunday, 1976) or international car racing (Grand Prix, 1966), his films tend to take themselves very seriously. Even his two classic Cold War dramas, The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and Seven Days in May (1963), were portentous affairs. Perhaps inevitably, then, his directorial touch has a deadening effect on Deception. With more plot twists and narrative sleights-of-hand than David Mamet's playfully convoluted thriller The Spanish Prisoner, Ehren Kruger's script is - you can't help thinking - partly tongue-in-cheek; but if this is the case, the jokes and attempts at self-parody have gone unnoticed by Frankenheimer.

Deception begins promisingly enough, with young thief Rudy behind bars. "That's me... menace to society," he tells us in a self-deprecating voiceover. Thanks to the austere lighting and martial music, the prison scenes have an intensity which the rest of the film lacks. The dining-hall fight scene, in particular, is staged with real flair. (After Birdman of Alcatraz, 1962, one guesses prison riots are second nature to Frankenheimer.) Unfortunately, once Rudy is released, matters begin rapidly to unravel. It doesn't help that none of the main protagonists is plausible and their behaviour often seems irrational. Genial, clean-cut Ben Affleck, who plays Rudy, is more like a preppy college student than a hardened con. He gets the best one-liners ("I had better sex in prison" he taunts the movie's femme fatale Ashley when she betrays him), but seems uncertain whether he is playing a light romantic lead or an all-out action hero.

The characters aren't developed in any depth, either. All we know about Rudy is that he used to steal cars, his greatest craving on being released from jail is hot chocolate and he wants to be home for Christmas. The apparent brains behind the casino heist Gabriel has a self-pitying monologue in which he bemoans the plight of the overworked American truck driver, but we learn little about him. As the double-crosses come thick and fast, it's hard to retain much curiosity about or sympathy for any of the film's duplicitous protagonists.

"When writing and talking about the film," producers Miramax/Dimension enjoin journalists in the press kit, "we would appreciate that you protect its unexpected plot developments so that the audience can enjoy them for the first time." But these "unexpected plot developments" are, perversely, what make the film so predictable. Once the ground rules are established - namely that everyone is cheating everyone else and that Frankenheimer will pull the carpet from beneath the audience's feet as often as he can - the tension drains out of the storytelling. The result is that the (final) surprise ending isn't so much ingenious as hugely contrived - yet one more cheap trick in a film that abounds in them.

Credits

Director
John Frankenheimer
Producers
Marty Katz
Bob Weinstein
Chris Moore
Screenplay
Ehren Kruger
Director of Photography
Alan Caso
Editors
Tony Gibbs
Michael Kahn
Production Designer
Barbara Dunphy
Music/Score Producer
Alan Silvestri
©Miramax Film Corp.
Production Company
Dimension Films presents a Marty Katz production
Executive Producers
Harvey Weinstein
Cary Granat
Andrew Rona
Co-producers
B. Casey Grant
Mark Indig
Associate Producer
James Sbardellati
Executives in Charge of Production
Kevin Hyman
Beth Anne Calabro
Production Executive
Tracy McGrath
Production Supervisor
Penny Gibbs
Production Co-ordinator
Yvonne Melville
Unit Production Manager
B. Casey Grant
Location Managers
Kirk Johns
Prince George:
Connie Kennedy
Post-production Supervisor
Maggie Cone
2nd Unit Directors
US:
Marty Katz
Canada:
David Crone
Assistant Directors
James Sbardellati
Carwyn Jones
Berengaria Tomkies
2nd Unit:
Mairzee Almas
Script Supervisors
Angela Allen
2nd Unit:
Natasha Young
Lori Kuchera
Casting
Associates:
Mali Finn
Emily Schweber
Canadian:
Lynne Carrow
Dimension:
Denise Doyle
Canadian Associate:
Susan Taylor-Brouse
ADR Voice:
Barbara Harris
Camera Operators
David Crone
Doug Craik
Underwater:
Rick Mason
Steadicam Operator
David Crone
2nd Unit Spacecam Operator
Ron Goodman
Visual Effects Producer
Crystal Dowd
Special Visual Effects
Pinnacle Studios
Additional Visual Effects
Digiscope
Special Effects
Co-ordinator:
Bill Orr
Head Fabricator:
Graham Hollins
Fabricator:
Steve Davis
Miniatures Effects
Cinema Production Services Inc
Art Directors
Helen Jarvis
Prince George:
Eric Fraser
Set Decorator
Elizabeth Wilcox
Draftsman
Willem Doesburg
Storyboard Artist
Ted Boonthanakit
Costume Designer
May Routh
Costume Supervisor
Sandra Watson
Make-up Department Head
Victoria Down
Prosthetics Make-up Effects
Crist Ballas
Hair Department Head
Sherry Linder-Gygli
Titles/Opticals
Howard Anderson Co.
Orchestrations
William Ross
Executive in Charge of Music
Randy Spendlove
Music Editors
Dan DiPrima
Kenneth Karman
Music Scoring Mixer
Dennis Sands
Music Audio Programming
David Bifano
Music Consultants
Patrick Lussier
Lisa Mozden
Soundtrack
"Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" - Dean Martin; "Little Drummer Boy" - Percy Faith; "Love Roller Coaster" - Ohio Players; "At Last" - Etta James; "Rockin' around the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee; "What Christmas Means to Me" - Stevie Wonder; "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" - The Canadian Brass; "Silver Bells"; "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"; "Reindeer Games"; "Joy to the World"
Sound Mixer
Larry Sutton
Recordists
Gary Ritchie
Kathleen Mccart
Re-recording Mixers
Steve Pederson
Rick Alexander
Michael Herbick
Supervising Sound Editor
Mike Le-Mare
Sound Editor
Solange S. Schwalbe
Dialogue Editor
Edmund J. Lachman
Sound Effects Editors
Robert Fitzgerald
Steve Livingston
David Lewis Yewdall
ADR
Supervising Editor:
Hari Ryatt
Editors:
Dwayne Avery
John Adams
Foley
Artists:
Vince Nicastro
Katherine Barper
Mixer:
Evelyn Nickle
Supervising Editor:
Karola Storr
Editor:
Brady A. Schwartz
Stunt Co-ordinators
Joe Dunne
Canadian:
Jacob Rupp
Weapons Consultant
Frank Jones
2nd Unit Helicopter Pilot
Steve Wright
Film Extract
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Cast
Ben Affleck
Rudy Duncan
Gary Sinise
Gabriel
Charlize Theron
Ashley
Dennis Farina
Jack Bangs
James Frain
Nick
Donal Logue
Pug
Clarence Williams III
Merlin
Dana Stubblefield
The Alamo
Mark Acheson
mean guard
Tom Heaton
ugly staffer
Isaac Hayes
Zook
Michael Sunczyk
Douglas H. Arthurs
distant inmates
Dean Wray
Ron Sauve
guards
Ron Hyatt
prisoner 1
Hrothgar Mathews
exit guard
Danny Trejo
Jumpy
Gordon Tootoosis
old governor
Lee Jay Bamberry
young governor
Frank Jones
security boss
Jimmy Herman
bartender
John Destry
fat guy
Ashton Kutcher
college kid
Ana Paul Piedade
Portuguese woman
Enuka Okuma
Eva de Viveiros
cocktail waitresses
Joanna Piros
TV newscaster
Robyn Driscoll
desk clerk
Lonny Chapman
old timer
Alonso Oyarzun
casino dealer
Rod Wolfe
Marcus Hondro
cashiers
Sam Bob
video guard
Jacob Rupp
David Jacox
park rangers
Anna Hagan
mother
Ken Camroux
father
Terry O'Sullivan
Aunt Mary
Michael Puttonen
Bill
Paula Shaw
Aunt Lisbeth
Don S. Williams
Uncle Ray
Jenafor Ryane
Jill
James Hutson
Mike
Wendy Noel
Stacey
Blair Slater
Sam
Certificate
15
Distributor
Buena Vista International (UK)
9,389 feet
104 minutes 20 seconds
Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS
Colour/Prints by
DeLuxe
Super 35 [2
Director
John Frankenheimer
Producers
Marty Katz
Bob Weinstein
Chris Moore
Screenplay
Ehren Kruger
Director of Photography
Alan Caso
Editors
Tony Gibbs
Michael Kahn
Production Designer
Barbara Dunphy
Music/Score Producer
Alan Silvestri
©Miramax Film Corp.
Production Company
Dimension Films presents a Marty Katz production
Executive Producers
Harvey Weinstein
Cary Granat
Andrew Rona
Co-producers
B. Casey Grant
Mark Indig
Associate Producer
James Sbardellati
Executives in Charge of Production
Kevin Hyman
Beth Anne Calabro
Production Executive
Tracy McGrath
Production Supervisor
Penny Gibbs
Production Co-ordinator
Yvonne Melville
Unit Production Manager
B. Casey Grant
Location Managers
Kirk Johns
Prince George:
Connie Kennedy
Post-production Supervisor
Maggie Cone
2nd Unit Directors
US:
Marty Katz
Canada:
David Crone
Assistant Directors
James Sbardellati
Carwyn Jones
Berengaria Tomkies
2nd Unit:
Mairzee Almas
Script Supervisors
Angela Allen
2nd Unit:
Natasha Young
Lori Kuchera
Casting
Associates:
Mali Finn
Emily Schweber
Canadian:
Lynne Carrow
Dimension:
Denise Doyle
Canadian Associate:
Susan Taylor-Brouse
ADR Voice:
Barbara Harris
Camera Operators
David Crone
Doug Craik
Underwater:
Rick Mason
Steadicam Operator
David Crone
2nd Unit Spacecam Operator
Ron Goodman
Visual Effects Producer
Crystal Dowd
Special Visual Effects
Pinnacle Studios
Additional Visual Effects
Digiscope
Special Effects
Co-ordinator:
Bill Orr
Head Fabricator:
Graham Hollins
Fabricator:
Steve Davis
Miniatures Effects
Cinema Production Services Inc
Art Directors
Helen Jarvis
Prince George:
Eric Fraser
Set Decorator
Elizabeth Wilcox
Draftsman
Willem Doesburg
Storyboard Artist
Ted Boonthanakit
Costume Designer
May Routh
Costume Supervisor
Sandra Watson
Make-up Department Head
Victoria Down
Prosthetics Make-up Effects
Crist Ballas
Hair Department Head
Sherry Linder-Gygli
Titles/Opticals
Howard Anderson Co.
Orchestrations
William Ross
Executive in Charge of Music
Randy Spendlove
Music Editors
Dan DiPrima
Kenneth Karman
Music Scoring Mixer
Dennis Sands
Music Audio Programming
David Bifano
Music Consultants
Patrick Lussier
Lisa Mozden
Soundtrack
"Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" - Dean Martin; "Little Drummer Boy" - Percy Faith; "Love Roller Coaster" - Ohio Players; "At Last" - Etta James; "Rockin' around the Christmas Tree" - Brenda Lee; "What Christmas Means to Me" - Stevie Wonder; "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" - The Canadian Brass; "Silver Bells"; "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"; "Reindeer Games"; "Joy to the World"
Sound Mixer
Larry Sutton
Recordists
Gary Ritchie
Kathleen Mccart
Re-recording Mixers
Steve Pederson
Rick Alexander
Michael Herbick
Supervising Sound Editor
Mike Le-Mare
Sound Editor
Solange S. Schwalbe
Dialogue Editor
Edmund J. Lachman
Sound Effects Editors
Robert Fitzgerald
Steve Livingston
David Lewis Yewdall
ADR
Supervising Editor:
Hari Ryatt
Editors:
Dwayne Avery
John Adams
Foley
Artists:
Vince Nicastro
Katherine Barper
Mixer:
Evelyn Nickle
Supervising Editor:
Karola Storr
Editor:
Brady A. Schwartz
Stunt Co-ordinators
Joe Dunne
Canadian:
Jacob Rupp
Weapons Consultant
Frank Jones
2nd Unit Helicopter Pilot
Steve Wright
Film Extract
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Cast
Ben Affleck
Rudy Duncan
Gary Sinise
Gabriel
Charlize Theron
Ashley
Dennis Farina
Jack Bangs
James Frain
Nick
Donal Logue
Pug
Clarence Williams III
Merlin
Dana Stubblefield
The Alamo
Mark Acheson
mean guard
Tom Heaton
ugly staffer
Isaac Hayes
Zook
Michael Sunczyk
Douglas H. Arthurs
distant inmates
Dean Wray
Ron Sauve
guards
Ron Hyatt
prisoner 1
Hrothgar Mathews
exit guard
Danny Trejo
Jumpy
Gordon Tootoosis
old governor
Lee Jay Bamberry
young governor
Frank Jones
security boss
Jimmy Herman
bartender
John Destry
fat guy
Ashton Kutcher
college kid
Ana Paul Piedade
Portuguese woman
Enuka Okuma
Eva de Viveiros
cocktail waitresses
Joanna Piros
TV newscaster
Robyn Driscoll
desk clerk
Lonny Chapman
old timer
Alonso Oyarzun
casino dealer
Rod Wolfe
Marcus Hondro
cashiers
Sam Bob
video guard
Jacob Rupp
David Jacox
park rangers
Anna Hagan
mother
Ken Camroux
father
Terry O'Sullivan
Aunt Mary
Michael Puttonen
Bill
Paula Shaw
Aunt Lisbeth
Don S. Williams
Uncle Ray
Jenafor Ryane
Jill
James Hutson
Mike
Wendy Noel
Stacey
Blair Slater
Sam
Certificate
15
Distributor
Buena Vista International (UK)
9,389 feet
104 minutes 20 seconds
Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS
Colour/Prints by
DeLuxe
Super 35 [2.35:1]
US theatrical title
Reindeer Games .35:1]
US theatrical title
Reindeer Games
Last Updated: 20 Dec 2011