"Deception" Certainly Lived Up to It's Title

Starting out, the film seemed promising - beginning immediately with Ewan McGregor's character, Jonathan McQuarry, a lonely phantom accountant, is approached by a lawyer employed by the current firm he's at, none other than Wyatt Bose, played by Hugh Jackman. The gentlemen exchanged pleasantries and end up spending the night smoking pot in the conference room. It is evident that McQuarry is a shy man that doesnt have any friends, and the company of Bose excites him - This very handsome, successful, and witty lawyer wanted to be his friend... but their time together is cut short.

During lunch one afternoon, Bose is called away to business in London and he dashes off to catch his flight, and in the process, "accidentally" mistakes McQuarry's phone for his own.

"Are you free tonight?"

Upon answering and telling the mysterious caller that it wasnt Wyatt Bose she was speaking with, Jonathan McQuarry somehow finds himself still answering that he does not have plans and is in the lobby of the Dillan Hotel. Spending the night with a woman whose name he does not catch, and is then gone by morning.

Didn't I say this film began promising? Ah, but the plot thickens!

Meeting after meeting, Jonathan thanks Wyatt Bose, more meetings, and then there is S (Michelle WIlliams). He meets with a woman who he has previously run into on the subway and during this second appearance, although he has met her before, he's at a loss for words. struck by her beauty, he says that he wants to get to know her.

"But you know the rules, no names."
So without a name, they get to know each other and even try to guess the name of the other.
"You look like a 'Frank'"
"Alright, Sunbeam."
(The 'S' coming from her keychain on her purse.)

After that night, he waits to hear from her again, asking desperately for a real date, which he recieves.

The evening in China Town was a pleasant one and it ends with Jonathan alone... 'S' is gone and he then demands from the police to know why and by whom and does everything in his power to get her back.

With all of the potential that this film had, it could have been played out a whole lot better. The acting was great, no complaints there, obviously. But it seemed like they were trying too hard due to a faulty script. The ending is really what gets you, a cop-out really, from a film that really lagged. It came to a slow down after it's reviealed what happened to "S," who she is, where Wyatt is, etc. The loose ends are tied but there is still questions about each character develops. The film is also meant for the audience to believe this could really happen in real life, but in all honesty, it is incredibly farfetched by the time the ending comes, and it was way too long, and not all that entertaining.

** 2/5 stars.