Film Review: Deceived (1991)

Goldie Hawn, one of the most charming and talented comediennes of 1970s and 1980s Hollywood, has, like so many of stars good at what they did, tried something different by starring in a serious role. The result of such venture – Deceived, 1991 thriller directed by Damian Harris – left much to be desired.

Hawn plays Adrienne Davis, New York art restorer who, at the beginning of the film, gets stood up by a date at the restaurant but notices a charming man having dinner at the nearby table. Soon afterwards it turns out that the man (played by John Heard) is art dealer. Two of them are immediately attracted to each other and soon afterwards get married. Five years later they live happily with their daughter Mary (played by Ashley Peldon). Adrienne’s idyll begins to crumble when her friend, a museum curator Tomasz (played by Jan Rubeš) dies mysteriously when he was about to test authenticity of Egyptian necklace provided by Jack. Adrienne soon catches Jack in little lies and begins to believe that he is having an affair. When confronted, Jack denies everything and leaves home. Soon afterwards police informs her that Jack died in car accident. Adrienne soon gets another unpleasant surprise when, one settling her late husband’s affairs, learns that he apparently faked his identity. She begins to investigate and discovers web of deceptions, unaware that Jack faked his death in order to stalk her apartment and get his hands of valuable artefact.

Deceived is Hollywood thriller as generic as such thrillers can be. In many ways, it follows the pattern of 1990s thrillers with idyllic middle class or upper class family setting threatened by seemingly ordinary and harmless person being revealed as dangerous psychopath in the end. Scriptwriters Mary Ellen Donoghue and Bruce Joel Rubin didn’t end anything new to the formula and they left all truly creative work to British film maker Damian Harris. He apparently tried to build Deceived on suspense, very much like in the classic films by his great compatriot Alfred Hitchcock, but his efforts were predictably poor in comparison. There are some good elements in the film – Goldie Hawn plays her thankless role of deceived wife well, while cinematography by Jack N. Green and music by Thomas Newman provide sufficiently effective atmosphere. John Heard, one of the most underrated actors of his generations, is on the other hand wasted in one-dimensional role of charming man who unconvincingly turns into homicidal monster. The worst thing is, however, the large number of gaping plot holes, especially at the very beginning (when the initial and semi-comical encounter between Adrienne and Jack leaves too many unanswered questions) and the ending, with simple, memorable but not particularly plausible scene during final showdown. Fans of Goldie Hawn might take some interest in Deceived, but the rest of audience should not, thus sparing themselves from unnecessary disappointment.

RATING: 3/10 (+)

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