Deceived (1991)

Very disappointed :(

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Concerned that her husband might be having an affair, a middle aged woman begins to investigate his suspicious recent behaviour, only to discover a greater conspiracy than she could have ever imagined in this slick thriller starring Goldie Hawn and John Heard. The film is well known as Hawn's first non-comedy movie, though Heard is arguably more impressive, always seeming just a little bit menacing, even if he goes way over-the-top in his final few scenes. Whatever the case, the film's best asset is Thomas Newman's atmospheric music score, which creates a genuine sense of unease at several key points. As for the story at hand, it is not exactly first-rate. Unresolved plot points and gaps in the narrative abound; Hawn also seems to get hold of all the information she needs with unbelievable ease, whether it be a school records lady bending the rules for her or complete strangers conveniently letting her into their home. The film also overplays its hand a little by including a second unexpected deception by her husband late in the piece that only raises unanswered questions about his true motives and the way his mind operates. If one does not focus too much on story specifics though, the film could be considered a decent ride. There are some very effective chase sequences and suspense scenes in which characters are voyeuristically viewed by an unseen intruder. The novelty of having Hawn in a dramatic role cannot be discounted either. This may have not been the best script for her to highlight her potential as a drama actress, but she is certainly convincing.

The immediate reaction to watching this stylish psychological thriller is to question why Goldie Hawn didn't feature in more movies of this type. Her seemingly natural ability to convey the types of shock, confusion and distress that her character feels as she uncovers some of her husband's long-held secrets is extraordinary and equally impressive is the way in which she displays a combination of strength and vulnerability that's absolutely convincing. At various points in the story, she shows fear, determination and horror as she gradually recognises the full extent of her husband's treachery and in so doing, highlights aspects of her talent that were never able to be shown in her numerous comedy roles.Goldie Hawn isn't the only reason for watching this movie, however, as it's also well-directed visually strong and frequently suspenseful.Adrienne (Goldie Hawn) is a successful art restorer who meets museum curator Jack Saunders (John Heard) at her workplace. This is an apparent coincidence, as the night before, at a restaurant, she'd mistaken him for the man she was supposed to be meeting on a blind date where she was stood-up. The couple get married and for six years enjoy what seems to be the perfect marriage. Things change though, after one of Jack's colleagues, who was examining an ancient Egyptian necklace at the time, is murdered and Jack believes that the finger of suspicion is being pointed at him.Around the same time, Adrienne finds various pieces of evidence which indicate that Jack had lied to her about his whereabouts etc. but her smooth-talking husband always manages to come up with some sort of explanation. After one such occasion, they argue and a little while after he leaves their apartment, she's informed by the police that he's been killed in a car accident. Some time later, through some information that she's given by her social security office, it comes to light that Jack had been using a false identity for many years and so Adrienne decides to carry out her own investigation to discover the truth about the man she knew as Jack. This puts her and her five-year-old daughter in great danger as she gradually uncovers the staggering scale of her husband's duplicity.John Heard does well as the very conventional and respectable-looking Jack and conveys his character's combination of superficial charm and coldness very effectively. The threatening atmosphere that builds up as the movie progresses is also skilfully developed with Adrienne being placed in locations (dark corridors etc.) which accentuate her vulnerability and director Damian Harris having some fun by startling his audience at various junctures with the help of a screeching cat and some fluttering pigeons etc. "Deceived" may not be ground-breaking material but it is very enjoyable, nicely-twisted and extremely well-paced.

Plot In A Paragraph: Adrienne (Goldie Hawn) and Jack Saunders (John Heard) have a perfect marriage, but Adrienne begins to suspect Jack of an affair when he is spotted in New York when he is supposed to be out if town. All of that is forgotten when her world comes crashing down after the death of Jack in a car accident. Deceived starts off very good and gets even better before it sadly becomes ludicrous, predictably ludicrous in fact. I've always had a soft spot got Hawn, as I used I have a crush on her as a kid things like "Private Benjamin", "Wild Cats", "Best Friends" and "Overboard" had me smitten and when I saw her again on "Bird On A Wire" the year before this, I knew I still had a thing for her, despite her advancing years. Anyway here she is excellent in a different type of role. She pretty much carries the movie on her own. Sadly the same can't be said for Heard. He ridiculously over acts. Ashley Peldon (The young Pheobe Cates from "Drop Dead Fred") is good as their daughter. In fact she puts in a better performance than Heard.It's a shame it ended so poorly as it started so well.

Is this the most innovative movie to ever come down the pike? No. Is a great deal of its appeal style over substance? Yes. But sometimes that's not a bad thing.Solidly acted thriller with a much more serious Goldie Hawn than usual. Watching it you get a sense that the Goldie you're watching is much closer to the private woman than the delightfully ditzy girl that was her stock in trade.Since the story is set in the rarefied world or museums and authenticators the settings are often plush and well appointed. However even though the main couple's home is very swank they apparently live in the most slowly renovated building in the world.Lead by Goldie all the performers give strong performances although, excepting John Heard, most of the roles are quite secondary. A decent thriller with an easy to figure out mystery at its core this is still quite a lot of fun thanks to committed work from all involved. A nice showcase for Goldie Hawn, who get a chance to uses pieces of her talent not always in evidence.