Deception MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +1 Content: -1

Andie MacDowell portrays Elizabeth Faro in her newest film, DECEPTION. Elizabeth's husband, John (Viggo Mortenson), is a pilot who likes to fly by the seat of his pants both literally and figuratively. When John's plane unexpectedly crashes in Mexico, killing him, Elizabeth takes a trip there to bury him. At Jack's flight office in Mexico, Elizabeth finds evidence of bank account numbers stretching from Santa Cruz to Berlin to Cairo. Elizabeth then goes on an account-closing spree where she finds over three-quarters of a million dollars stashed away by her supposedly poor, dead husband. As she comes to the last bank, she also discovers that John is really alive. This secret leads her to Cairo, Egypt, where she becomes involved with the charming Dr. Fergus Lamb (Liam Neeson), president of a relief organization called Feed the World. Is Dr. Lamb somehow involved with the shady business dealings of her "late" husband? Is Jack really alive? By the middle of the movie, you really stop caring about the answers. DECEPTION is a huge step down for MacDowell after GROUNDHOG DAY. The acting, the silly, unclear plot and the bad dialogue all conspire to make this one of the worst movies in quite a while.

Murphy's Law applies to this movie since, while it is so poorly made, it contains very few objectionable elements. There is no nudity or sexual content, and only a few obscenities and profanities. The only violence comes at the end when a man is shot three times at close range. There is even a positive portrayal of the Coptic Christian Church, whom Dr. Lamb credits with saving his life. Even the moral of the movie seems to say something upbeat by showing Dr. Lamb to be a truly caring man as opposed to Jack's deception. There is also an interesting look at the Muslim festival of Ramadan, with its garish night-time celebrations. Unfortunately, these positive elements do not transform DECEPTION into good entertainment, and the offensive language is enough to warrant a slightly objectionable rating. What a shame that a film relatively free of offensive elements lacks entertainment appeal.

Preview Reviewer: Greg Wilson
Distributor: Miramax Films, 375 Greenwich, NY, NY 10013