DECEPTIONS
US, 1990, 100 minutes, Colour.
Harry Hamlin, Nicollette Sheridan, Robert Davi.
Directed by Ruben Preuss.
Deceptions is a murder mystery, based on a story in the Alfred Hitchcock magazine. It has some echoes of Vertigo with the infatuation of a policeman for a murder suspect. (There are also echoes of such films as Jagged Edge.)
Harry Hamlin, from LA Law, is the Los Angeles detective who becomes infatuated with the murder suspect, Nicolette Sheridan. His assistant is Robert Darvi, the villain from Licensed to Kill.
As regards the murder mystery - there are various complications, clues and some loose ends. Did she? Could she? It is a rather long film and spiced up for video viewing, but it has its moments, especially the policeman finally reading the suspect her rights.
1. Entertaining murder mystery? Twisting plot? Police investigation? Romance, infatuation and obsession?
2. Los Angeles background, the use of the city, police headquarters? The affluent world of the victim and the suspect? The theatre world? Musical score and songs?
3. The title, the focus - on the suspect, on her relationships, on her relationship with the detective?
4. The portrait of the detective - Harry Hamlin as the Los Angeles detective type, his partner? Work at the office? His going to the scene of the crime, the investigation, attraction by the suspect? His being on guard, interrogations, clues? Seducing and being seduced? The relationship? His not believing her, testing her? The investigations about the buying of the air ticket? The various contacts? The alleged rival? The build-up of his case, his nights with her? The drive and the failing of the brakes? Wanting to arrest her - but her pleading with him? The theatre information, the actor, the discovery of the truth, the shoot-out in the bedroom? His reaction to the suspect, his relationship with her, his quietly reading her her rights?
5. The murder suspect, her relationship with her husband, sexual, business? The threat and the audience seeing her threatened in the house, her shooting the intruder, the revelation that it was her husband? Her behaviour, her grief? Able to cope? Reaction to the two policemen? Going out, her being transferred, wanting her pet? Her relationship with the detective, seduction, deceptions? The intimacy? Having him on-side? Persuading him that she couldn't be guilty, the dismissal of the case? The failed brakes and her being arrested, her pleading with him? The discovery of the truth, the final confrontation, her continued lies? Arrested?
6. The husband, his relationship with his wife, the reason for his return, the buying of the ticket, with the mask, playing games or not? His death?
7. The boyfriend, his background in the theatre, relationship with the suspect? The pretence about the previous woman and her aggression? Phone calls, attempted shooting? The actor disguised as the woman?
8. The assistant policeman, his scepticism, manner of treating the case, concern about protecting the suspect? Advice to the detective? Going to the home, being murdered?
9. The twists of the plot? Audiences believing the suspect was guilty - or not? The investigations, the plane ticket and the death of the seller? The death of the policeman? The theatre background? The obsession of the detective, his love, his disillusionment? An exercise in deceptions?
