IMDb RATING
4.6/10
425
YOUR RATING
A detective gets involved with a suspect in a murder case.A detective gets involved with a suspect in a murder case.A detective gets involved with a suspect in a murder case.
- Awards
- 1 nomination total
James Andronica
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- (as Jimmy Andronica)
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Featured reviews
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.
The story is terribly dated mysoginstic and badly written even for that time. The twists are pathetic.
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.
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.
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.
This is definitely not the worst movie I have seen, but I still would not recommend it to anyone. Actors were bravely doing just OK, but the totally unbelievable, seen-this-million-times-but-rarely-this-badly-written plot and really cheap settings made sure this movie never really got off and the god-awful soundtrack with neverending sax torturing gave it coup de grâce.
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.
Did you know
- TriviaDue to Harry Hamlin's popularity at the time (thanks to L.A. Law), the movie received a theatrical release in Europe and Australia.
- Quotes
Jack 'Harley' Kessler: Don't go getting your nuts in an uproar here.
- ConnectionsFeatured in We Kill for Love (2023)
Details
- Runtime1 hour 35 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
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