SOFT DECEIT

US, 1994, 95 minutes, Colour.
Patrick Bergin, Kate Vernon.
Directed by Jorge Montesi.

Soft Deceit is a conventional heist thriller - destined for video shops rather than for the big screen. It stars Patrick Bergen, who made an impact in the late '80s, early '90s with such films as Mountains of the Moon, Love Crimes, Sleeping With The Enemy. However, during the '90s he tended to make this kind of thriller. The action is rather implausible - and there is an emphasis on the sexual relationship between a police officer and the criminal (with action being held up for considerable time for sex scenes).

1. Popular robbery thriller? Prison escape and police pursuit drama?

2. American settings, the city, the opening with the church and the robbery? Prisons? The pursuit in the woods? Police officers? Musical score and atmosphere?

3. The title, the focus on Anne Fowler, her relationship with Adam Trent, her detection work? Her deceiving herself?

4. The opening of the film: the priest saying Mass, the priest receiving the money? The robbery? The police investigations, the pursuit and arrest of the criminals in their rooms? The interrogations - with the touch of brutality? The arrest of Adam Trent, his trial, sentence?

5. The character of Adam Trent, his skills, his underlings? The hiding of the money? The approach of the priest and lawyers and their inability to get the money? Hobart and his obsession? Anne Fowler and her going to the court, the plan for the entrapment? Her visit to him in the prison - his falling for her? Her for him? Each using the other? His agreement to the plan, her participation? The ambush on the road? The escape? Going through the woods, the dangers? The relationship between Anne and Adam? His breaking his leg - and the deceit? The arrest of the criminals, the counterfeit money?

6. Adam on the loose? Anne and her feeling deceived? Hobart and his anger? The police authorities? The priest demanding the money back? The subsequent plans?

7. Adam going to Anne's apartment, the sexual encounter, the seduction? Her telling her superiors? The rendezvous and Hobart being over-anxious? Adam appearing on the motor cycle to test whether he was being under surveillance? The confrontation with Anne, her decision to help with the passport, persuading her superior that she should go along with the plan? The build-up to the finale, the airport, his getting out of the car, going to the terminal, the plane taking off? His and her name being on the passenger list?

8. Hobart and his anger? Anne and her disappointment, walking along the front of the airport?

9. The irony of the priest and his previous insistence to police and lawyers? On the plane with the money?

10. Adam arriving with the limousine, with Anne - and the future? Conventional aspects of a crime thriller and deceit?