User Reviews

There are two reasons to see Deceiver - one is for the great performance from the always-superb Tim Roth, and the second is for the superb performance from the always-great Tim Roth. In all fairness, the two detectives and Renee Zellweger were excellent as well. The story is convoluted in a way but sometimes that's not really a bad thing, if the convoluted-ness is done in a creative fashion, as it is here. I have to say that I saw the ending coming about three-fourths of the way through, but it was still very engrossing nonetheless, the kind of film that leaves you nodding with a satisfied smirk on your face at the end because you DID figure it out, and sometimes that's not a bad thing either.

7 out of 10.

A great Rental movie. This thriller had me guessing all the way up to the end. I waffled back and forth from disliking characters to liking them.

Roth is again great as a nuerotic over priveleged epeleptic. He is by no means a physically imposing man, but in some of the scenes, you get a real sense that this guy is dangerous.

I also like any casting of Penn as the laughable but sincere looser.

This movie is one of those rare pick-ups at Blockbuster..... never commercially touted, but seeing the actors on the box makes ya pick it up.... You get it home and wow.... its a great movie.

This has hints of Abel Ferrara about it (esp. the welcome appearance of the late and lamented Chris Penn from Ferrara's 'The Funeral.') I've seen this twice now, and am still not quite sure who really murdered Elizabeth. It doesn't really matter, I suppose, but there's a sense here in which style predominates a bit too strongly over substance. Michael Rooker & Tim Roth overact a bit - so the steadying presence of Chris Penn is helpful here. I'd liked to have known more about Roth's upbringing and so forth than we're granted. The scenes of him with his parents & friends are some of the best - all that baloney with lie detectors in dimly lit rooms becomes a bit dreary after a while.

Nice to see 1) Michael Parks (one of the nastiest villains in Twin Peaks) - here confirming one's idea that psychiatrists and psychologists are easily more strange and conflicted than their patients, and 2) Mark Damon - most famous in American cinema from Roger Corman's Fall of the House of Usher way back in 1960! Worth an outing if you should ever get bored with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but hardly worth all the effort you need to expend in an attempt to 'work out the story.' (By the way, are all American police really like this?)

The cast, the camera work, the music and the dialogue all create a dark and surreal tone that's haunting and riveting. Tim Roth, Renee Zellweger and Ellen Burstyn all dominate so completely that you can't look at anyone else when they're onscreen. It's as much an exercise in acting and "mood" as anything, but the story is fun to follow. I don't think it's supposed to be "believable" in the literal sense. How can it be when they throw in epilepsy, absinthe, prostitution, family dysfunction, etc. Every character was well-cast (LOVED the psychologist) and the tension and undertones in the actor's interactions with each other make it an impossible-to-forget movie. It's one of the few I own. The scenes with Mook (Burstyn) as well as those with Roth and Zellweger are ingenious. A movie that must be watched closely to understand the ending.

This movie is a hidden treasure . A clever and dark psychological thriller . It reminds me of a movie that David Fincher ("Se7en") would have made if he was in shape . "The Liar" or "The Deceiver" as the movie is sometimes known is an intriguing movie that keeps you at the edge of your seat. This is an example of movie in which you can have three people talking in one room and you can't take your eyes off screen.

The movie is really dark and full of tension. You can never know what will happens next and what dark secret will be revealed. You must figure out for yourself what is true and what is lie.

Tim Ruth is great as the main hero (?) who toys with other people minds. He is really one strange guy. Chris Penn gives a really good support in a rather standard role of not too bright cop. The real star here is Michael Rooker who is AMAZING . His performance deserves an Oscar. You have to see it for yourself. Renee Zellweger and Ellen Burstyn also give quite memorable performances.

Good movie . A hidden treasure . I give it 7/10.

"Deceiver" starts out as a riveting thriller, but bogs down somewhere in the middle and leads to increasingly far-fetched and unbelievable "revelations". The "mind game" is probably my favorite movie "genre", but the Pate Brothers need more practice before they can be called virtuoso players. I expected a lot more from this flick. (**1/2)

(Major Spoilers) The film "Deceiver" has to do with a routine interrogation of a murder suspect that goes completely haywire with the person being interrogated turning the tables on his interrogators.

As were introduced to the three major players in the film were also given, besides their backgrounds and extent of their education, their IQ scores! By the time the movie is over the persons IQ's more then explains how they grasps the situation, or situations,that they ended up finding themselves in.

The heir to the Wayland textile fortune James Walter Wayland, Tim Roth, has been picked up as a prime suspect in the brutal murder of prostitute Elizabeth Loftus, Renee Zellweger. Elizabeth was found dismembered, like the infamous Black Dalia back in the 1940's, with her body sawed in half and in two different locations.

The two cops on the case detective Ed Kennesaw,Michael Rooker, and his partner Phil Braxton, Chris Penn,seem to have broken the case with Wayland suddenly changing his testimony, during a lie detector test, and almost-but not quite- admitting his guilt! You at first get the impression that Wayland is truly guilty and is somehow trying to construct an insanity defense for himself. This is all due to Waylands severe infliction of temporal lob epilepsy that causes him to forget what he does after he all of a sudden loses it. Despite Dr. Banyard (Michael Parks), who diagnosed Wayland's illness, warning not to as much as touch Wayland when he goes into an epileptic fit Det. Kennesaw grabs an out of control, while he's being interrogated, Wayland and almost gets killed by him. This has Kennesaw, who had no love for Wayland in the first place, to get really aggressive towards Wayland in trying to pin Elizabeth Loftus's murder on him.

As the movie reaches the midway point Wayland's actions become more and more obvious in that he's somehow using both Kennesaw & Braxton most hidden fears and secret lifestyles, that has both men on the very edge, to his own advantage. Braxton a compulsive gambler is in hock to big time bookie The Mook, Ellen Burstyn, for $20,000.00. The Mook, like all bookies, a sore loser is furious that Braxton got a hot tip from horse-racing tote Jebby, Bob Hungerford, in a race where a 50 to 1 shot ended up winning. The mad as hell Mook feels that Braxton somehow stiffed her out the money that he, as far as I can see, won fair and square.

Now with his, as well has his families, life on the line Braxton desperately needs the 20 grand to keep The Mook's henchmen from breaking both his arms and legs as well as doing harm to his wife and two young daughters! With no one to go for help but his partner Kennesaw, who can only cough up half of what Braxton owes The Mook, it's turns out that the very rich and manipulating Wayland is Braxton's only hope to settle the score with the Mook.

****MAJOR MAJOR SPOILER**** The stuff that comes out, from Wayland, about Det. Kennesaw is far more shocking in that he in fact was involved with the murdered Elizabeth Loftus, as one of her Johns, on the very evening that she's was murdered! This in fact explains why Kennesaw is so determined to have Wayland indited in Miss. Loftus murder! Or is it!

The ending in "Decevier" will blow you away in that everything that you, as well as Det's Braxton & Kennesaw, thought you knew about the brutal murder of Elizebeth Loftus is in fact turned upside down! And believe it or not that's, which should have been the big surprise in the movie, what turns out to be the films only as well as major flaw!

I love a movie that will capture me from the beginning and never let go. This movie was like that for me. This is the movie that made me a fan of TIM ROTH. He is fascinating to watch, and the character he plays is fascinating to watch.

The movie goes into the psychology of each of the lead players, and I found myself collecting ever more answers -- with always a few more questions with each answer.

It's not one of those kinds of films that tries to make sure you know the answer to anything -- yet lets you see most everything -- and still find yourself wondering. It's got little action, yet is continually stimulating and thought-provoking, interesting and fun to watch.

I've seen this movie more than once and it's one of those rare films I know I will enjoy watching again and again -- and I think that every time I watch it I have new answers -- and new questions. Anyone interested in psychology will love this film. The acting are all excellent, the cinematography wonderfully mood-setting, the direction superb. I gave it 10 stars.

It isn't too hard to understand why this movie wasn't a great success at the box office. Most people expect to see an average Hollywood version of a cop movie and they will be very disappointed when seeing this one. No, it isn't about the good cop chasing the bad guys, making a beautiful little hole in the forehead of everyone that doesn't obey the law. This movie is much more subtle and probably a lot harder to understand for a lot of people.

In fact, the whole movie is created around only three actors. But not just three actors, we are talking about Chris Penn, Tim Roth and Michael Rooker, who all did an excellent job. Trust me, never have I been more fascinated by three men in a darkened room, pushing each other to their mental and physical limits.

This is how the story goes: A prostitute has been murdered and there is one suspect. He's an extremely intelligent, epileptic alcoholic who is able to deceive everybody, even the polygraph. His investigators try to make him confess the murder by playing little mind games, only to see that he outsmarts them time after time.

The dialogs are fascinating, the use of flashbacks very interesting. Add some tense interrogation scenes with a lot of psychological war fare and a huge plot twist at the end of the movie and you know you have something special. I guess those psychological games will not be understood by everybody, but you'll love it if you are intelligent enough to understand them. I know I did and I give this movie an 8/10.

Loaded with fine actors, I expected much more from "Deceiver" than was delivered. The plot is extremely contrived and manipulative. The many flashbacks only add to the confusion. Believability flies out the window and with the ending becomes unbearable and downright ridiculous. I would strongly advise anyone who likes their movie plots to be based on something that is at least possible to avoid "Deceiver" because you will be very frustrated. Maybe I am just not hip enough to get it, but my suspicion is that many others were totally confused by the story line and especially by the ending. Blurring the line between reality and lies simply does not work because the entire movie made no sense. - MERK

This movie has first class acting.Tim Rooth delivers a great performance and so does Michael Rooker.The movie is very dark and mysterious.A big part of the movie takes place in a little room,but this just helps make the movie even better.The story is really clever and it reminds me a lot of Usual suspects.This movie uses good camera work and great acting to build the story,and that is they way it should be.Good thriller with lots of suspense.

This film has a very simple story, a murder is committed with only one suspect and the police are using a lie detector to try and prove he did it. The film is interesting mainly due to the performance of Roth as the suspect who is determined to prove his innocence, whether true or not, by whatever means necessary.

This is a dark and smart film with both Roth and Rooker giving excellent performances. The pace is quick with tense interrogations being broken up by flashbacks and background showing a little of the problems faced by each character.

The ending is a little off, it is too convenient and not as good as the rest of the writing. A good if flawed film.

One thing you'll immediately notice about this crime thriller is its extremely dark look, this movie really makes you appreciate sunlight. All the action happens in this one really unpleasant interrogation room, only some occasional flashbacks make you remember there's a world outside, a world full of pain that is. The claustrophobic atmosphere is the strongest point to this movie, because it makes the psychological insights to our three main characters all the more interesting. Who did it isn't the main issue here, the main issue is how and when the killer will finally be caught. Eventually the eternal darkness gets tiresome, but by then the plot is actually moving someplace so it doesn't really matter. What does matter is the ending though, which I've seen quite a lot of times before, often better written. That is to me the only disappointment to this movie, the predictability of the ending. Other than that it's a nice piece of atmosphere.

Deceiver is classic 90's noir, with a dash of trashiness and a unique cast all suited to the bottom feeding material. It trips along in the same gutter as stuff like Basic Instinct, another film that is simultaneously aware and smugly indifferent to the fact that it's scummy stuff. Almost every character is a reprehensible, unlikable piece of work, save for one surprise cameo. I may have just put you off the film, and to many who don't see this type of thing as your cup of tea, please avoid it. But to those like me who appreciate a nice bit of grimy fun, well this is your ticket. Tim Roth plays Wailand, a wealthy and arrogent young heir to a textile mill. He is under suspicion for the brutal murder of a prostitute (Renee Zellweger) who was found in a park, cut in half. The two detectives who are tasked with hassling him seem almost as dodgy as he is, and when you look at the edgy character actors who play them it's easy to see why. Detective Braxton (Chris Penn) is buried in gambling debt, owing a tidy sum to nasty loan shark Mook (Ellen Burstyn). Detective Kennesaw (An explosive Michael Rooker) is a rage fuelled whacko who is furious at his wife (Rosanna Arquette) for having affairs on him. Wailand has both the cunning nature to see this weaknesses in both of them, and the money to do something about it. This makes the detective's job very hard, being stymied by their quarry every step of the way. Wailand also has mental issues including blackouts and strange episodes of personality alteration that Roth takes full advantage of in the scenery chewing department. It's pseudo psychological mumbo jumbo that the actors play straight faced for a thriller that's quite the endearing little flick. Rooker stands out with his trademark volatility that will put anyone's nerves up to defcon 4. Roth has a ratty, evil looking face. Nothing against the dude, he just looks like he'd slit your throat in your sleep for a dollar. He's great as suspicious characters, and has fun here being the wild card. Penn is his usual huff and puff self. Character actor Michael Parks has an awesome cameo as a psychiatrist with a monologue that almost lets the film wade out of cheese territory. Great cast, great flick.

An epileptic man takes a lie detector test to prove he had nothing to do with the death of a stripper. During the test, the private lives of the investigators comes to light due to an investigation by the investigated man. This causes the case to take a strange turn. The film flashed back and forth in time showing the cheap tawdry lives of all involved in the bizarre circumstances. Great story and fascinating dialogue kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through. 4 stars.

This was a very different film with very difficult roles to play and all the actors, Chris Penn, Ellen Burstyn and Renee Zellweger all did a fantastic job in trying to make this film believable. Most of the film deals with flashbacks, lots of sitting down with lie detectors and even the police wind up having to take a test. There are many twists and turns to this story and you really cannot look away too quickly or you will find yourself getting lost and completely mixed up. After viewing this picture, you can see why Lie Detectors are not really used in a COURT OF LAW! The ending of this film will fool you completely! The cops and bad guy in this film all have secrets and some how, it all works out in the END!

The acting was very good - I have always liked Chris Penn when he is correctly cast and he was in this case. Tim Roth can usually pull off over-the-top characters pretty well, making them believable to the extent possible. The problem was in this case is that the character as written was pretty unbelievable: temporal lobe epilepsy combined with absinthe alcoholism is a pretty difficult combination to pull off, and I think the writing came a bit short in doing so.

Still, kudos to all of the actors who put in good performances even if the material let them down. I think what the writer was trying to pull off, something like a "Blood Simple" (heightened realism & small town characters under extraordinary circumstances), came way short of the mark. But it seems obvious that everyone involved tried to come up with something new and interesting and they should get credit for that.

All told, it is worth watching - the supporting characters are worth watching especially: Ellen Burnstyn was a hoot as an underworld character, Renée Zellweger did a good call girl, Rosanna Arquette underutilized as a angst driven wife. I gave it a 6/10.

Based on R1 DVD 102 min.

After a reasonable start this movie descends into a muddled bog of unbelief by the end. Chris Penn has to act like a dumbfounded statue; a part he plays rather well; while his fellow cop (Rooker) steals a couple of scenes from the Shining and the Dear Hunter. The ending is not really a big surprise but one has to ask why anyone would bother going to such lengths.

A big failing with The Deceiver is not that it is often confused or confusing but that it makes no real effort to make the viewer care.

5/10 catch it on TV