Deception

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Buy This Item Deception by MGM (Video & DVD)  Available from Amazon  $19.98  on 11-14-2008     <br />A "typical" Bette Davis potboiler, but in this one the pot just can't quite reach the boiling point and goes flat. Davis is in love with composer Claude Rains, but suddenly encounters the man she's loved in the past (Paul Henreid) - and the vicious triangle is set up. The old love hasn't died, and she marries Henreid, but decides to keep her affair with Rains a secret from him. Rains is insanely jealous and hurt by her sudden marriage and attempts revenge: he threatens to tell Henreid everything. Davis shoots him just before a big concert (Henreid is a cellist about to premier a new work by Henreid - what a coincidence!). <br /> <br />Some of this doesn't make sense: why the big secret? And hardest of all to figure out is why does she shoot Rains and then tell Henreid everythng anyway? The script, especially the dialogue is prety weak and lifeless, though Rains manages to shine. What's lacking most in this picture is inspiration. Reader Reviews Bette Davis is most well known for dominating the leading men with whom she was paired to act. For instance, her impeccable acting clearly over shadowed Bogart's performances. What makes "Deception" different from every other Bette Davis movie is being paired as the mistress of Claude Rains. If ever there was a grossly under-appreciated actor it is Claude Rains. While "Deception" is not his show, because all eyes are upon Davis (and her eyes, as usual), when Rains goes after Davis' character in "Deception" it is the only time in Davis' acting history when a male supporting actor takes control of the lead. "Deception" is as intense a drama as it gets because of the dueling and riveting performances of Davis and Rains. While the plot is 'about' Heinreid's character, his performance is in the background even though he was Davis' co-star and played her cellist husband. Rains as Hellenious, the master composer and insanely jealous mentor & former lover of Davis', when contrasted with his performances as Job Skeffington & Dr. Jacquith in "Mr. Skeffington," and "Now, Voyager," respectively, is his master performance in a movie with Bette Davis. Even with that rave on Rains said, Bette Davis matches Rains' intensity and stays in character as Hellenious' underling. The primary scene that exemplifies Davis and Rains going script to script at each other is set in Hellenious' bedroom, after Davis barges past his door boy, prances up his mansion's staircases, bursts into his bedroom where she finds him sitting up in bed reading the newspaper pretending not to be at home. I must also add about all three lead actors, each one does a very convincing job of actually playing the musical instruments they are acting as if playing: especially Heinried. "Deception," for these reasons, and so mnay more, is one of my favorite Davis, Rains & Heinried flix, if not, thee favorite!

Deception Available from Amazon Price: $19.98 Updated on 11-14-2008.

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