It's weird when independent cinema includes a film funded by MGM and featuring a high-profile cast. Typically this type of film would be fodder for national consumption, but for some reason, Deceiver wasn't - which is really too bad because it is a magnificent film. Everything from the plot to the acting to the music to the cinematography is absolutely wonderful.
The script for the film is wrought with suspense, confusion, and black-humour, playing out like one big psycho-drama. Matching the script, the direction, lighting and shooting is done masterfully, with a very noir-ish feel and a frequent amount of merged scenes depicting two scenarios at once. The film is big on eye candy and backs it up with a great story... much of which is told through flashback, and along side that are the numerous scenes delving into the main characters' mania.
The story deals with a young call girl found bisected, and in two separate locations. The only clue to her death is a phone number found in her pocket. The phone number is that of the son of a wealthy local entrepreneur (Tim Roth). He is a very odd fellow, having a high intelligence quotient of 155, frontal lobe epilepsy brought on by stress, a penchant for the hard liquor absinthe, and a BA in psychology, which oddly enough gives him tremendous insight into the lives and minds of his two interrogators (played by Michael Rooker and Chris Penn). A master at lies, Roth's character reveals to the two cops truth only after previously deceiving them, and then begins to provoke them by revealing things about them he couldn't possibly know. Eventually the interrogation turns around, with Roth questioning the cops, their motivations and delving deeper into their psyche. Eventually, as the film comes to the head, the truth is revealed, but is it really?
Roth is at his best in Deceiver, with Rooker and Penn both having career defining moments as well. This being the Pate twins (Jonas and Joshua) first feature film, they will surely have a tough time following it up. If you thought The Usual Suspects was good, this is about seven times better.