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Marcel Langenegger makes his feature-film directorial debut with the aptly titled DECEPTION, a film about secrets and lies. Jonathan McQuarry (Ewan McGregor) feels that life is passing him by. He completes short-term audits for a large firm, but doesn’t really feel any connection to his employer and finds it difficult to make friends at his assignments since he’s never there for long. Jonathan’s circumstances change overnight when charming lawyer Wyatt Bose (Hugh Jackman) befriends him. In an instant, the shy accountant is playing doubles tennis with his new friend and beautiful women and visiting upscale clubs. Just as mild-mannered Jonathan is getting used to his new lifestyle, Wyatt leaves town on business. When Jonathan finds himself mistakenly in possession of Wyatt’s cell phone, he also discovers a whole new world of anonymous sex in elite Manhattan hotels with powerful women known simply as “The List.” But soon Jonathan is in over his head: he’s the prime suspect when a woman goes missing, and the threat of extortion looms. This tale weaves an intricate web of lies and treachery. Jackman is both charming and chilling as Wyatt, a man utterly without conscience, while McGregor falls easily into character as the bespectacled Everyman, Jonathan. Nerdy but likable, Jonathan really just wants to connect with someone. Along the way, he learns that he is capable of more than he ever expected.

The movie takes a few unexpected twists and you certainly don’t expect Hugh Jackman to be such a sinister character. A predictable ending, but enough plot twists to at least make it interesting. A somewhat steamy movie. It’s a shame they didn’t have Ewan McGregor doing the Tome Cruise “tidy white” dance since he had several scene opportunities. I keep trying to think of a few analagous type plots from some older movies, but apparently they were less memorable.

Rating: 3.5 our of 5 Jalapenos