Spikeopath Deception is directed by Marcel Langenegger and written by Mark Bomback. It stars Ewen McGregor, Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams. Music is by Ramin Djawadi and cinematography by Dante Spinotti.Jonathan McQuarry (McGregor) is a timid New York accountant who whilst working late one night meets Wyatt Bose (Jackman). Bose is the complete opposite to McQuarry, he's highly sexed, confident and supremely cool. So when a mix up with the pair's mobile phones introduces McQuarry to an exclusive sex group, he's spun into a world completely alien to him.If you have watched a lot of film noir, both classic era and neo, Deception will come off as irritatingly stale. What we have here is very much a case of the title revealing far too much! You would hope that with the makers going for broke with such a title then they would have the nous to fill out the story with surprises, take us and the principal characters down some twisty streets, not so, sadly. Within ten minutes you catch on to what is happening, the writing so poor as to not cleverly challenge the narrative drive. It could maybe be argued that McQuarry's journey, and how the character evolves, is something of a veer from the noir norm? But it has no dramatic worth and renders the finale as dull (the alternate ending is even worse).It's not a total wash out as such, the cast are engaging in their roles, good actors straining to make a weak screenplay work, while cameos from Natasha Henstridge, Charlotte Rampling and Maggie Q impact to come off as better than novelty value. And then there's Spinotti's (Manhunter, L.A. Confidential, Heat) cinematography, the best character in the play. His nighttime city scapes are electric, his colour lenses beautiful (golds and blues are poetic), his work deserves a better film. But that's about it, leaving us with a shallow noir cover version that's in search of its own identity. For those not familiar with the noir form, then this is just about average enough for a look see. For noir fans, though, it's neither erotic or thrilling and as unadventurous as it gets. 5/10

juneebuggy This was okay, I was expecting it to better though with Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams attached but it just fell kinda flat especially as an "erotic thriller". I will say it didn't ever go where I thought it going to, the mystery aspect was unique in that respect.Ewan McGregor plays a nerdy shy accountant here who is introduced to a secretive sex club known as "The List" when he mistakenly swaps phones with his smooth talking lawyer friend Hugh Jackman. "Are you free tonight?" is how it all starts, Jonathan soon falls for one of the members and then becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance as well as a multi-million dollar heist.Jackman and McGregor had pretty good chemistry together, I like both these actors so they were an easy sell and it was interesting how they managed to look so alike later on. Michelle Williams is super talented but she's wasted here in a dull, fluffy role that left zero impression.One big issue I had was with the two cases containing 10 million dollars that are just left in the park. Really! that's insane besides the fact that "he" needs the money no one would just leave 10 million dollars and walk away. 2/15/16

dpaikeday This was a mediocre movie that was predictable. Wyatt Bose's (a corporate lawyer) shows sudden random interest in Jonathan (an auditor) who then become friends with a week full of social engagements. Jonathan does not have much of a social life however Wyatt certainly appears to have one. I find it questionable how Wyatt suddenly is able to dedicate so much time to Jonathan. The fact that the movie is called "deception" makes it a very predictable setup. It wasn't clear to me how and why Wyatt picked Jonathan and how he plotted the entire thing. What followed was the case of simple blackmail with a predictable twist. While the acting was good, the storyline was weak.

Alyssa Black (Aly200) Only one person can create a vast web of conspiracy into a game of cat and mouse by the close of the film and that would be Hugh Jackman playing a devious lawyer throwing a naive accountant (Ewan McGregor) into a web of finance, sex and lies. For a storyline, the plot is pretty simple to start, but then takes the twists and turns of a thriller. most of the dull moments are due to the absence of Hugh Jackman for most of the film's mid-section. Things really picked up for me when he returns on-screen and lays out the deadly game he has set McGregor up in.Casting is a fair job. Jackman is the best of the lot with his charismatic attitude, dashing good looks and sly wiles as he cons his co-star into the sex game and later financial blackmail. McGregor has his moments when he holds the majority of the film's middle while Jackman is "away." Michelle Williams as the mystery woman is adequate (she is no Kim Basinger (The Natural and L.A. Confidential) or Mary Astor (The Maltese Falcon), but she does hold an air of mystery that turns a bit obvious by the time Jackman reappears.Give "Deception" a shot if you need a good thriller.