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Movie Review
The Deal
By Scott Sycamore Published June 27, 2005
US Release: June 17, 2005
Directed by: Harvey Kahn
Starring: Selma Blair , Christian Slater
R
Running Time: 107 minutes
Directed by: Harvey Kahn
Starring: Selma Blair , Christian Slater
R
Running Time: 107 minutes
C-
Most of the movie involves sequences of disconnected dialogue with ominous overtones that never play out properly.
Christian Slater has been under the radar for several years now, despite being in a steady string of films (most of them being not very big or well received). I now learn, in minor shock, from the IMDB that the homeboy has one of the longest and most bad-ass police rap sheets of any actor, ever. I'm sure that's a big reason why he fell off; he's just too intense of a guy in real life.
That persona comes across in The Deal, as I just found his character unlikable. He plays Tom Hanson, a young turk at a prestigious investment banking firm. Tom is contacted by Jared Tolson (Robert Loggia), head of the Condor Corporation, and asked to engineer a huge oil deal between Condor and Black Star Oil. The overall plot of this film is really murky and does not lend itself to remembering much of it afterwards. Basically, Hanson gets caught up in a web of corporate intrigue, all against the backdrop of U.S. war in the Middle East and steadily rising oil prices. Sounds like...hey, wait a minute, that's what's going on in real life.
And that's the single best thing about this film: its obvious links to the actual world. Too many films exist inside a sanitized movie-only universe; The Deal tries to comment on the current State of the Union. As much as I disliked watching the movie, though, it had a decent aftereffect; I thought about all the seediness and corruption involved with international business and oil trade.
The movie was written by Ruth Epstein, who apparently worked on Wall Street for several years. The script showcases a clear insider's knowledge of the game, but part of the problem is that it's just too insider: we hear a lot of chatter that means something to the characters but doesn't mean much to us. Most of the movie involves sequences of disconnected dialogue with ominous overtones that never play out properly. The characters aren't developed, including the female lead, played by Selma Blair (who gives one of the worst performances I've ever seen). There really is very little entertainment value in this film. I appreciate what it's going for, but The Deal falls flat.
That persona comes across in The Deal, as I just found his character unlikable. He plays Tom Hanson, a young turk at a prestigious investment banking firm. Tom is contacted by Jared Tolson (Robert Loggia), head of the Condor Corporation, and asked to engineer a huge oil deal between Condor and Black Star Oil. The overall plot of this film is really murky and does not lend itself to remembering much of it afterwards. Basically, Hanson gets caught up in a web of corporate intrigue, all against the backdrop of U.S. war in the Middle East and steadily rising oil prices. Sounds like...hey, wait a minute, that's what's going on in real life.
And that's the single best thing about this film: its obvious links to the actual world. Too many films exist inside a sanitized movie-only universe; The Deal tries to comment on the current State of the Union. As much as I disliked watching the movie, though, it had a decent aftereffect; I thought about all the seediness and corruption involved with international business and oil trade.
The movie was written by Ruth Epstein, who apparently worked on Wall Street for several years. The script showcases a clear insider's knowledge of the game, but part of the problem is that it's just too insider: we hear a lot of chatter that means something to the characters but doesn't mean much to us. Most of the movie involves sequences of disconnected dialogue with ominous overtones that never play out properly. The characters aren't developed, including the female lead, played by Selma Blair (who gives one of the worst performances I've ever seen). There really is very little entertainment value in this film. I appreciate what it's going for, but The Deal falls flat.
Scott's Grade: C-
Scott's Overall Grading: 417 graded movies
| A | 15.1% | |
| B | 59.2% | |
| C | 24.5% | |
| D | 1.2% | |
| F | 0.0% |
