Review in a Hurry: Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice—oh, never mind. This wannabe con mystery isn't fooling anyone. It's just a waste of some pretty pictures and decent performances.
The Bigger Picture: Here's the thing about an ostensibly "adult" mystery: Ideally, it should not be solvable by Scooby-Doo. (And we're talking just the dog, not the whole gang.) When we first meet smarmy Wall Street lawyer Wyatt (Hugh Jackman), it's obvious that he's not what he seems. Obvious, that is, to everyone except doe-eyed accountant Jonathan (Ewan McGregor), who's blinded by Wyatt's access to cash, expensive suits and steaming-hot, anonymous sex.
Wyatt, you see, is on the List, a network of high-powered executive types who have perfected the zipless encounter—no names, no cuddling, just brief phone calls and expensive hotel rooms. Which is working out very well for mousy Jonathan until he meets the girl of his dreams and starts breaking the rules, only to discover he's a pawn in a much larger—wow, is that really the plan?
Deception has nice atmospherics—lots of slinky mood lighting and performances entirely in keeping with the lurid aesthetic. Judged entirely below the belt it's almost worth watching, but from the heart on up it's just not a good enough lie to be entertaining.
The 180—a Second Opinion: It's basically skinemax with high production values. But in today's psychotically puritanical climate, there's something to be said for a film not only willing but eager to use sex as a weapon. If only it were put to better effect.