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"DECEPTION" (2008) (Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Heavy Extreme Moderate Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Minor Heavy None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Minor Minor Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Suspense/Thriller: A meek accountant finds his world turned upside down -- in more ways than one -- when his new lawyer friend introduces him to a sex club. PLOT: Jonathan McQuarry (EWAN McGREGOR) is a meek accountant who works as an audit manager, spending short amounts of time at various high profile firms doing the books and, in his own words, watching the world pass him by. Thus, he's drawn to Wyatt Bose (HUGH JACKMAN), a handsome and polished lawyer who befriends him late one night when both are working well past closing time. When Jonathan ends up with Wyatt's phone and vice-versa, and Wyatt says he's been called to London for business, the accountant gets a peek inside his new friend's life. That's particularly true regarding a sex club where members call others for an evening of casual and anonymous sex, no strings or commitment attached. Initially reluctant to participate, Jonathan soon becomes a willing member, enjoying a number of liaisons with various women. But when he meets a woman (MICHELLE WILLIAMS) he previously ran into on the subway, he wants to take things slower with her. Since all members are to remain anonymous, he only knows her by her first initial, S, and the two eventually end up in a hotel room. His world then turns upside down, however, when he returns from getting some ice to find blood in the room and an assailant who knocks him out. When he comes to, S is gone, as is the blood, prompting police Det. Russo (LISA GAY HAMILTON) to doubt his story. Upset and confused about what's happened, Jonathan tries to find S, only to discover that she's been kidnapped and he's being blackmailed in exchange for her well-being. From that point on, the accountant sets out to find out what he can about the kidnapper, all while trying to locate and save his new love. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of anyone in the cast or sordid-type thrillers, they might be interested. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For sexual content, language, brief violence and some drug use. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: Spoiler Alert: The following contains pivotal plot information regarding one or more characters. Since such revelations occur before the end of the film (and are seen in the trailers), we felt it necessary to point out the developments. If you don't want to know them, don't read the following: EWAN McGREGOR plays a meek accountant who audits various companies and thinks that life is passing him by. Thus, he's drawn to Wyatt and his lifestyle when that lawyer befriends him. He drinks, briefly smokes pot, uses profanity, has casual sex with various women, steals funds (due to being blackmailed), and must contend with unexpected developments as he falls for S. HUGH JACKMAN plays a handsome and polished lawyer who takes it upon himself to get Jonathan to loosen up. Accordingly, he shares pot with him and indirectly introduces him to a sex club to which Wyatt also belongs. However (SPOILER ALERT), he turns out to be a scam artist, setting up and blackmailing Jonathan in exchange for millions of dollars of stolen money. He uses strong profanity, has sex with S (and presumably others), and murders others. MICHELLE WILLIAMS plays a member of the sex club who Jonathan ends up falling for. She may or may not have sex with him, does with Wyatt, uses strong profanity, and has ulterior motives. LISA GAY HAMILTON plays a local police detective who initially doesn't believe Jonathan's story about S, but becomes suspicious of him when things start pointing in his direction. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this R rated suspense/thriller. Profanity consists of at least 10 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, as is the sight of various sexual encounters related to a sex club involving anonymous sex (with movement, sounds and nudity - bare butts and breasts), while some exotic dancers are briefly seen. Violence includes several murders (on and off-screen) with varying degrees of bloody/gory results, while non-lethal contact is also present. Those scenes and moments of potential peril might be unsettling and/or suspenseful to some viewers, while various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes. Drinking and limited smoking occur, while two men share a joint and get high. Other potentially imitative behavior is present. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of camera movement, including some bouncy handheld, spin-around shots, and an out of focus view with movement. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Wyatt tells Jonathan he has something that will help him focus, and produces a joint. He asks Jonathan if he smokes and the accountant says not for a long time. We then see the two of them sharing that, followed by lots of boisterous laughter. Wyatt tells Jonathan they should get a drink and we next see them in a bar, drinking, as do others around them. A woman has a drink while waiting for Jonathan. Jonathan has a drink in a bar. S opens and has the contents of a mini bottle of liquor in a hotel room. When a woman says that nobody by the name of Wyatt works at her law firm, Jonathan is shocked, saying they smoked pot together in the conference room. There's a newspaper account about a murder by strangulation where drugs were also involved. S holds a drink and Wyatt asks if he should order champagne, but S says she's good with the drink. Wyatt then tells her to get him a beer and she does. A bar sign advertises cocktails. BLOOD/GORE Jonathan gets some ice and returns to his and S's hotel room, only to find her missing and some blood on the sheets. When he turns, an assailant punches him unconscious. When Jonathan comes to, he has some blood on his hand and some on the side of his face, but the blood on the sheets is now gone. Plastic is pulled back to reveal a dead woman in a morgue with a huge but now dried gash across her neck (the result of being strangled with something akin to piano wire -- not seen). We briefly see a charred corpse in some rubble on the floor after an explosion, followed later by a photo of that charred corpse. The villain pulls a gun on Jonathan, but the villain is shot by another person. We see blood soak through his shirt, followed by Jonathan having some of that person's blood on his hand. The villain has blood on his, and we then see a growing pool of blood under his head on a park bench. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Wyatt jokes about once knowing a guy who was similar to Jonathan. When Jonathan asks what happened to the guy, Wyatt says he killed himself (but appears to be joking about that). The main villain and his accomplice obviously have bad attitudes for setting up Jonathan in a blackmail scheme to steal millions of dollars. The main villain also kills several people, and adopts others' identities as part of his ruse. Jonathan impersonates being a cop to get access to privileged police records. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Jonathan hears something in his place and does a slow walk through it, but it's just the water jug gurgling. When he turns, Wyatt is suddenly there. The villain holds a handgun to Jonathan's head to persuade him to go along with a blackmail plan. Plastic is pulled back to reveal a dead woman in a morgue with a huge but now dried gash across her neck (the result of being strangled with something akin to piano wire -- not seen). We see a person walking up behind Jonathan on a subway platform, but nothing bad happens. Jonathan races against a deadline to transfer money from a firm's account to an overseas one, and must contend with the manager coming in at that moment. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others. See "Violence" for details. The villain holds a handgun to Jonathan's head to persuade him to go along with a blackmail plan. A bank guard wears a standard sidearm. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*cking and sucking," "I asked you a f*cking question," "That was foreplay, now you're f*cked" (nonsexual), "F*ck it," "You f*cking sh*t," "What the f*ck is wrong with you?" "You f*cking killed him?" "You f*cking piece of sh*t," "(That's) Bullsh*t," "They won't do sh*t about it," "Holy sh*t," "If you like working with assholes," "Oh hell no," "Screw-ups," "Jeez," "Working their asses off," "What a pain in the ass," "What the hell was that?" "I'm a sucker for bashful boys," "If you screw with me" and "Poor bastard." Jonathan impersonates being a cop to get access to privileged police records. JUMP SCENES Jonathan hears something in his place and does a slow walk through it, but it's just the water jug gurgling. When he turns, Wyatt is suddenly there. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of ominous and suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 10 "f" words (1 used sexually as is the term "lay"), 7 "s" words, 3 asses (1 used with "hole"), 2 hells, 1 crap, and 1 use each of "G-damn," "Christ," "For Christ's sakes," "For God's sakes," "God," "Honest to God," "Jesus Christ," "My God" "Oh God" and "Oh Jesus Christ." SEX/NUDITY While working late at night, Jonathan spots a male and female custodian sneak off into a bathroom (presumably for sex). Finding Jonathan working late, Wyatt jokingly asks if he's downloading multitudes of porn. When Jonathan comments on a woman being pretty, Wyatt (who's shirtless while changing in the locker room) jokingly responds, "You don't get much, do you?" Jonathan asks if he's referring to sex, and when asked for a number of past sexual partners, he says "Maybe four." Wyatt questions him on the "maybe" part, saying everyone knows, with Jonathan then saying it's been more than four. He then asks Wyatt how many it's been for him, but Wyatt says he doesn't know. When Jonathan calls him on his earlier comment that everyone knows, Wyatt replies that he was referring to people like Jonathan (meaning Wyatt has had too many encounters to count). We see various scantly and/or provocatively dressed exotic dancers doing their thing (sexy moves, etc.) in some sort of club. One such woman wears fishnet stockings and a transparent leotard of sorts that partially shows her bare butt beneath it. At that club, Wyatt asks Jonathan what's the wildest thing he's ever done. Jonathan replies that he once called a sex line, but ended up giving tax advice to the person on the other end of the call. Wyatt then comments on women having the same (sexual) urges as men. Jonathan sees Wyatt meet a woman at a hotel (presumably for sex as part of the sex club -- but we don't see anything). On an elevator, Jonathan overhears two women talking about one's earlier sexual activity in the copier room, with the other being disgusted by that. Jonathan and Wyatt end up with each other's phone. Jonathan answers Wyatt's, and a woman's voice tells him to meet her at a certain hotel. Jonathan reluctantly does so, but is intrigued, especially when the alluring woman starts to undress in the room. She then passionately kisses and starts undressing him. We then see her in her bra, then her straddling him, then her top comes off and we see a partial side view of her bare breasts. We then see movement with her having sex on top of him, with a view of her bare back, more partial side breast views, and a view of nearly her entire bare butt as she continues rhythmically moving on top of him. The next morning, she is gone. Having enjoyed his previous casual sex encounter, Jonathan calls another number and goes to meet the woman who he's surprised is middle-aged. Seeing that he's new to the sex club, she gives him the ground rules, including no rough stuff and no names. She then tells him she's a sucker for bashful boys. We later see him shirtless and her in her bra, and he asks why she does this. She says for the same reason men do, that it's essentially intimacy without intricacy. We see a sexy-looking woman in lingerie crawling toward and then getting onto Jonathan (who's shirtless), with him then rolling over onto her. We then see a montage with quick views of him having sex with various women including views of a woman's bare breasts as Jonathan is behind her; him removing another woman's panties as she's lying down (we see her bare breasts and side of her bare butt); him between another woman's legs; and the above middle-aged woman on top of him (with partial views of her bare breasts and side of her butt). S, who shows cleavage, starts to undress for Jonathan in a hotel room, but he has her stop as he doesn't want to rush things. They end up having food on the hotel bed (clothed). Jonathan and S passionately kiss out in the rain. We next see them in a hotel room, and things are getting sensual between them. Jonathan says that you can't blame people for getting worked up and he starts to say fulfilling the need of, with S seductively finishing his thought with "F*cking and sucking." He then goes out to get some ice (in his t-shirt and briefs), but when he returns, S is gone. Jonathan showers, but we only see him from the shoulders up. We see Jonathan in a t-shirt and briefs. Jonathan receives a phone call intended for Wyatt where the woman says that he owes her, especially since she was his first (sexual encounter in the sex club). Jonathan then goes and meets that woman who's dressed in a leotard of sorts that's cut low in the front and is in the shape of a thong on the backside. Nothing sexual occurs, but Jonathan does ask her why she called and wanted to have sex with Wyatt after just stating he seemed dangerous. She replies by asking if he knows what it's like when it's so good that you'd rather die than stop and then adds about Wyatt, "He was a good lay." Jonathan finds a photo of him having sex with a woman from the sex club (nothing explicit, and taken by someone else). Wyatt acts menacingly sensual toward S, with his arm around her, groping her clothed breast and then neck. Moments later, he gropes her clothed butt and breasts again, and then throws her down to a bed. He then spreads her legs, we hear the sound of him undoing his pants, and they then have sex, with the camera focusing on her anguished face. We see S in a very tight and formfitting dress. SMOKING Two miscellaneous women smoke in separate scenes. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Jonathan says his mom raised him by herself and then died when he was 19. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Casual sex. Being seduced by the lifestyles of others. Working as an accountant. Working as a lawyer. VIOLENCE Jonathan gets some ice and returns to his and S's hotel room, only to find her missing and some blood on the sheets. When he turns, an assailant punches him unconscious. When Jonathan comes to, he has some blood on his hand and some on the side of his face, but the blood on the sheets is now gone. The villain punches Jonathan to the floor. Jonathan pins a woman to a wall while trying to get info from her about Wyatt. There's a newspaper account about a murder by strangulation where drugs were also involved. Plastic is pulled back to reveal a dead woman in a morgue with a huge but now dried gash across her neck (the result of being strangled with something akin to piano wire -- not seen). We see a cell phone photo of S with tape over her mouth. A light switch is thrown in an apartment, resulting in a huge gas explosion that blows out the windows, causes a fire, and kills at least one person (we see the charred corpse on the floor, and later see a photo of the same). S throws a drinking glass at Wyatt while mad at him. The villain pulls a gun on Jonathan, but the villain is shot by another person. We see blood soak through his shirt, followed by Jonathan having some of that person's blood on his hand. The villain has blood on his, and we then see a growing pool of blood under his head on a park bench. Reviewed April 21, 2008 / Posted April 25, 2008

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