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MOVIE INFO

Director:
Brian Trenchard-Smith
Cast:
Cuba Gooding Jr., Emmanuelle Vaugier, Evert McQueen, Ty Hungerford, Jeff Gannon, Brad McMurray
Writing Credits:
Jeffrey Schenck (story), Peter Sullivan (story), Kraig Wenman

Tagline:
She thought she had the perfect life.

Synopsis:
When a widowed reporter is informed by an FBI agent that her deceased husband has just been murdered, the two join forces to uncover a web of deceit that is shocking and more deadly than anyone could imagine. Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (1996 Best Supporting Actor, Jerry Maguire) and Emmanuelle Vaugier (TV's "Two and a Half Men") star in this sexy, suspenseful, psychological thriller.

MPAA:
Rated R

DVD DETAILS
Presentation:
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1/16X9
Audio:
English Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:
English
Closed-captioned
Supplements Subtitles:
None

Runtime: 92 min.
Price: $22.99
Release Date: 6/11/2013

Bonus:
• Previews


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RELATED REVIEWS

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Absolute Deception (2013)

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (April 99, 2013)

As many have noted over the last 15 years or so, Cuba Gooding, Jr.’s career stagnated and declined after he won an Oscar for 1996’s Jerry Maguire. Nonetheless, he continues to get a lot of work – IMDB lists him as a participant in multiple 2013 projects – so I guess the guy still manages to pay the bills.

For the latest from Gooding, we go to 2013’s direct-to-video thriller Absolute Deception. Thugs abduct and apparently kill Dennis Archer (Ty Hungerford), an informant for FBI Agent John Nelson (Gooding). When he finds Archer’s severed finger on the scene, he scans the database and learns that Archer is really Miles Scott, an American who allegedly died two years earlier.

Nelson notifies Miles’ wife Rebecca (Emmanuelle Vaugier) of this and lets her know that he was involved in some serious financial crimes in Australia; Miles planned to testify in exchange for immunity and was to enter protective custody when shot. A reporter, Rebecca digs around and finds out that Miles created an alternate life for himself after his original “death” – including a second wife (Kelly Atkinson).

Disturbed and intrigued, Rebecca heads to Australia to investigate her husband’s shenanigans for herself. There she ends up partnered with Nelson as they go deep into the case, with much danger along the way.

I always felt kind of bad for Gooding as he went through his fall from grace. Granted, I suspect many of his wounds were self-inflicted, as he chose a lot of bad projects - Boat Trip, anyone? – but I still thought he may’ve ended up on the “C”-list for reasons partially beyond his control.

Projects like Deception make me lose sympathy for Gooding, though, as I start to wonder if he actively attempts to sabotage his value as a credible actor. Even if we assume Gooding takes projects just for the paycheck, I can’t figure out what brought him to Deception, as it looks like it cost about $37 – how much could it have paid? The whole flick boasts a serious “bargain basement” vibe, as it comes across like something made in five days to run on basic cable.

The Grade Z production values do become amusing after a while, though. For instance, take a look at the explosion that pops up about halfway into this debacle; 10-year-olds on aging laptops could create more convincing effects than that. Michael Richard Plowman’s score also creates unintentional comedy with its relentlessly over the top cues; the music fills much of the movie and telegraphs each and every attempted moment of drama.

Not that director Brian Trenchard-Smith needs help in that department, as he seems plenty able to create a clumsy, easily predicted narrative on his own. Nothing happens here that the viewer can’t see in advance, and Trenchard-Smith tells the tale in an awkward, choppy manner with an emphasis on the obvious. He plays the twists to an extreme that robs them of any potential value.

The cast and characters don’t help. Nelson might be the dumbest, most gullible FBI agent ever to leave Quantico, and super-reporter Rebecca learns most of her discoveries by accident, not due to her wiles. The film’s attempts at witty banter/bonding between Nelson and Rebecca feel out of place and embarrass. They seem oddly glib as they deal with cold-blooded killers, and the forced romance between them seems goofy and not believable.

The actors do nothing to elevate their poorly written roles. Gooding sleepwalks through the part, and while lovely, Vaugier shows little acting talent. Still, they’re Tracy and Hepburn compared to the universally incompetent supporting performers, all of whom would be outclassed by the average community theater troupe.

Absolute Deception creates only one point of intrigue: what’s up with Vaugier’s super-thin eyebrows? They take on a life of their own – and make one wonder if the movie’s budget went entirely toward the massive tweezing team that must’ve been required to keep them so damned skinny. Those eyebrows perplex and amaze but they’re not enough to keep me with this woeful thriller.


The DVD Grades: Picture B+/ Audio C+/ Bonus D-

Absolute Deception appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. The transfer looked solid for SD-DVD.

Colors came across well, as the movie offered fairly appealing hues. Blacks seemed dark and full, while shadows were reasonably smooth. Some night shots came across as a bit dense, but those instances weren’t problematic.

Sharpness seemed fine. A few slight examples of softness and jaggies cropped up through the film, but these were minor. Overall definition looked solid. I noticed no shimmering, and edge enhancement was minor. No source flaws marred the presentation. Given the limitations of SD-DVD, I felt pleased with this presentation.

I thought the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack of Deception was less impressive, however, as it showed a lackluster soundscape.. It was a front-heavy affair that didn’t do much with the various channels. Even during action scenes, the elements portrayed mediocre movement and integration, without much apparent surround material. This felt like a cheap mix for a low-budget film.

No issues with audio quality occurred. Speech was consistently distinct and concise, and I detected no problems with edginess or intelligibility. Effects displayed decent accuracy, though, and acceptable low-end during some louder bits. Music showed reasonable vivacity. I found nothing here to elevate the soundtrack beyond mediocrity.

The disc opens with ads for Breakout, Dead Man Down, The Call, House of Cards and Evil Dead. No trailer for Deception appears here, and we get no other extras.

With a generic title like Absolute Deception, can you expect much? I guess not, but I still hoped the film might offer a few charms. Unfortunately, it’s nothing more than a clumsy, amateurish dud. The DVD comes with very good picture but audio seems mediocre and the disc lacks bonus materials. Even members of the Gooding family should skip this sub-par stinker.

Viewer Film Ratings: 2.7777 Stars Number of Votes: 9
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12:
31:
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