Deceptions

There were a few good things about this crime/thriller made for TV film but the negatives outweigh the positives unfortunately. By that I mean that this 1990 period piece is very much dated by both the lame acting and the "trying way too hard" jazzy suspenseful music score in the background permeating throughout the entire film.

I actually started laughing when I saw Homicide Detective Nick Gentry exercising by punching away at a punching bag in his apartment flat then placing his bruised hand in a pitcher of ice water. Why was that funny? Well it is what he did after taking his hand out of the pitcher of ice water. The sweaty and shirtless Detective Gentry raised the pitcher of ice water and drank from it and then just as if from a scene from the 1983 film Flashdance the wet chair dance scene, he pours the water all over his head and shirtless chest. I will have to call this scene over the top and not fitting in with the story line at all.

Yes, a young Nicollette Sheridan in a skimpy bikini is easy on the eyes and worth a look at this made for TV film as is actor Robert Davi's performance as Harry Hamlin's detective partner. The story line of who killed Ms. Sheridan's wealthy husband is a bit of a head scratcher but the love/hate relationship between the two lead actors, namely Hamlin and Sheridan and that annoying jazz musical score I had enough after the first 20 minutes of the film.

I give the film a barely pass rating of 5 out of 10 IMDb rating.

This is a made for tv movie, so expect that quality going in. Nicollette Sheridan and Harry Hamlin are pretty to look at, but this movie is slow paced and boring. They spent more time showing Nicollette swimming in a bikini than they did on the actual plot. This movie leaves many people confused as to what was actually going on. The storyline has a lot of holes that doesn't make sense. Watch this if you have nothing better to do. Or if you just want to stare at Nicollette and Harry.

this movie quickly declares itself as a did-she or didn't-she detective mystery. i am not so sure about the plot, but it is worth contemplating and it has its distinctive moments (which is not easy when there are so many similar plots out there). the movie has that shot-in-l.a. look that makes it seem cheap even if the visuals are well conceived. director reuben preuss shows obvious talent. the real surprise is that nicolette sheridan can act. she is cast as "a walking wet dream" and even if you are not immediately captivated by her luscious looks, she quickly wins the viewer's affections with an intelligent portrayal of her character. there is one scene, in a hotel room, where ms. sheridan shows great strength, and one wonders whether BEVERLY HILLS NINJA is a fair place for such a capable actress to be plying her trade. robert davi also turns in a strong performance. harry hamlin is not my idea of a leading man. but he does not grate, and he wins for his role sufficient sympathy to keep the movie going, even if the script calls for an inhuman number of emotional twists from his character. the actor's guild should put a limit on the number of turnabouts that the writers can demand of a character. if you want to claim that this movie doesn't hold a candle to BASIC INSTINCT, ask yourself what this very capable crew might have done with a bigger budget, darker sets, and a little more time to work out the story line.

DECEPTIONS (1990 TV Movie)

A woman, Adrienne Erickson, (played by Nicollette Sheridan) shoots her husband, when he breaks into their house, and tries to stage a home invasion murder.

Two cops are assigned to her case, Nick Gentry (played by Harry Hamlin) and Jack 'Harley' Kessler (played by Robert Davi). Nick gives Adrienne the benefit of the doubt, but Harley thinks everyone is guilty.

Nick and Adrienne soon fall in bed together, but is there more going on here than Nick is willing to see?

WHAT DOES WORK: *THIS MOVIE HAS A MOOD-SETTING SCORE, with lots of sexual saxophone. There's lots of beefcake and cheesecake shots of both Nicollette Sheridan & Nicollette Sheridan, who were both in their prime.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *IT'S STILL JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE No matter what, her husband broke into their house, wearing a mask, and tried to kill her. This is justifiable homicide, no matter what she knew or when she knew it. Everything else is minutiae.

*DIALOG NOT DELIVERED WELL Some of the dialog is delivered in a stiff manner, and doesn't come across as very believable.

*STUPID MOTIVATIONS At one point, Adrienne calls Nick, and implies she's going to kill herself. Nick busts in the front door, without even calling out. The last guy who did that got shot.

*HOW DOES NICK AFFORD A PORSCHE? Nick drives a 911 Targa, even though it's being redone, the parts alone would be too much for a cops salary.

*CONTINUITY PROBLEMS In one scene, at dinner Adrienne's fingernails are red, then the next scene, she's back to white tips.

*CARS DON'T EXPLODE ON IMPACT, that's TV fiction.

*MORE STUPID MOTIVATIONS Why does Nick assume Adrienne is involved when the brakes fail in her car, with him driving? Wouldn't that substantiate her claim that someone's trying to kill her?

TO RECOMMEND OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IT THE QUESTION: I would not recommend this, sheerly because of the writing. The acting is about what your expect from a '90's TV movie thriller. But there are too many unexplained plot holes for me to recommend it. Also, the twist at the end makes you hate this movie.

CLOSING NOTES: *THIS IS A MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE, please keep that in mind before you watch\rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.

*I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FILM, or production in ANY way. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews. Hope I helped you out.

Interesting because the leads ended up getting married. Nicolette is stunning. Harry Hamlin wasn't too old yet.

The story is terribly dated mysoginstic and badly written even for that time. The twists are pathetic.