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Interesting because the leads ended up getting married. Nicolette is stunning. Harry Hamlin wasn't too old yet.

The story is terribly dated mysoginstic and badly written even for that time. The twists are pathetic.

This is an excellent movie which keeps you guessing till the end. don't know why others gave it such a bad rating. Nicolette sheridan with a British accent is the cynosure in this movie has done an excellent job and looks great . Also the ending is a bit shocking. also it is worth watching the movie again once you know the ending.

DECEPTIONS (1990 TV Movie)

A woman, Adrienne Erickson, (played by Nicollette Sheridan) shoots her husband, when he breaks into their house, and tries to stage a home invasion murder.

Two cops are assigned to her case, Nick Gentry (played by Harry Hamlin) and Jack 'Harley' Kessler (played by Robert Davi). Nick gives Adrienne the benefit of the doubt, but Harley thinks everyone is guilty.

Nick and Adrienne soon fall in bed together, but is there more going on here than Nick is willing to see?

WHAT DOES WORK: *THIS MOVIE HAS A MOOD-SETTING SCORE, with lots of sexual saxophone. There's lots of beefcake and cheesecake shots of both Nicollette Sheridan & Nicollette Sheridan, who were both in their prime.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *IT'S STILL JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE No matter what, her husband broke into their house, wearing a mask, and tried to kill her. This is justifiable homicide, no matter what she knew or when she knew it. Everything else is minutiae.

*DIALOG NOT DELIVERED WELL Some of the dialog is delivered in a stiff manner, and doesn't come across as very believable.

*STUPID MOTIVATIONS At one point, Adrienne calls Nick, and implies she's going to kill herself. Nick busts in the front door, without even calling out. The last guy who did that got shot.

*HOW DOES NICK AFFORD A PORSCHE? Nick drives a 911 Targa, even though it's being redone, the parts alone would be too much for a cops salary.

*CONTINUITY PROBLEMS In one scene, at dinner Adrienne's fingernails are red, then the next scene, she's back to white tips.

*CARS DON'T EXPLODE ON IMPACT, that's TV fiction.

*MORE STUPID MOTIVATIONS Why does Nick assume Adrienne is involved when the brakes fail in her car, with him driving? Wouldn't that substantiate her claim that someone's trying to kill her?

TO RECOMMEND OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IT THE QUESTION: I would not recommend this, sheerly because of the writing. The acting is about what your expect from a '90's TV movie thriller. But there are too many unexplained plot holes for me to recommend it. Also, the twist at the end makes you hate this movie.

CLOSING NOTES: *THIS IS A MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE, please keep that in mind before you watch\rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.

*I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FILM, or production in ANY way. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews. Hope I helped you out.

There were a few good things about this crime/thriller made for TV film but the negatives outweigh the positives unfortunately. By that I mean that this 1990 period piece is very much dated by both the lame acting and the "trying way too hard" jazzy suspenseful music score in the background permeating throughout the entire film.

I actually started laughing when I saw Homicide Detective Nick Gentry exercising by punching away at a punching bag in his apartment flat then placing his bruised hand in a pitcher of ice water. Why was that funny? Well it is what he did after taking his hand out of the pitcher of ice water. The sweaty and shirtless Detective Gentry raised the pitcher of ice water and drank from it and then just as if from a scene from the 1983 film Flashdance the wet chair dance scene, he pours the water all over his head and shirtless chest. I will have to call this scene over the top and not fitting in with the story line at all.

Yes, a young Nicollette Sheridan in a skimpy bikini is easy on the eyes and worth a look at this made for TV film as is actor Robert Davi's performance as Harry Hamlin's detective partner. The story line of who killed Ms. Sheridan's wealthy husband is a bit of a head scratcher but the love/hate relationship between the two lead actors, namely Hamlin and Sheridan and that annoying jazz musical score I had enough after the first 20 minutes of the film.

I give the film a barely pass rating of 5 out of 10 IMDb rating.

My review was written in February 1990 after watching the film on Republic Pictures video cassette.

"Deceptions" is an atmospheric, stylishly directed film noir. Headed direct-to-video, pic has strong potential for pay-tv as well, though it lacks the character depth to make it as a theatrical feature.

Helmer Ruben Preuss continues to show potential in the thriller genre on the basis of this and previous pic "In Dangerous Company", but still a long way from delivering a film of "Body Heat" calibre.

Harry Hamlin toplines as a cop irresistibly drawn to his main suspect, Nicolette Sheridan, who's holding the smoking gun after shooting her husband (Marshall Colt) when he pretends to be a burglar and tries to stab her in a break-in at their mansion.

Both Hamlin and partner Robert Davi are puzzled as to why anyone would kill such a luscious spouse as Sheridan. Circumstantial details gradually point to the existence of an accomplice, a gilr named Marta who resembles Sheridan and supposedly was hubby's squeeze on the side. Pic resolves the whodunit with some good twists while the viewer's suspicion concerning Sheridan remains in the forefront throughout.

Based on a short story by Ken Denbow published in Alfred Htichcock mystery magazine, pic shares the qualities of the late master's tv show in keeping one guessing. Casting of the idealized leads Sheridan and Hamlin provides an alluring, glamorous look, but neither gets inside the character. In Hamlin's case, Richard Taylor's script doesn't detail what makes him tick beyond the obvious attraction to Sheridan, absolutely smashing-looking in and out of a parade of swimsuits (recalling her big screen debut in Rob Reiner's "The Sure Thing"). Sleek design work, including Sheridan's whit-on-white manse, provides a cool, modern tone.

Davi is solid as the no-nonsense cop who adds some fire to the laid-back proceedings. Lensing is fine and the film benefits tremendously from Gary Scott's catchy and haunting musical score in a minor key, replete with wailing saxophone.