Deceiver (film)

1997 American film

Tim Roth
Chris Penn
Michael Rooker
Rosanna Arquette
Ellen Burstyn
Renée Zellweger

CinematographyBill ButlerEdited byDan LebentalMusic byHarry Gregson-WilliamsDistributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
MDP Worldwide^[1]

Release date

August 31, 1997 (1997-08-31) (Venice Film Festival)

Running time

101 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBox office$572,433

Deceiver (UK title: Liar) is a 1997 American mystery film directed by Jonas Pate and Josh Pate, and starring Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Michael Rooker, Rosanna Arquette, Ellen Burstyn and Renée Zellweger. It won Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay at the 1997 Stockholm Film Festival, and the Special Jury Prize at the 1998 Cognac Police Film Festival.

Plot

Textile company heir James Wayland (Tim Roth) is accused of murdering a prostitute, Elizabeth Loftus (Renée Zellweger), whose body was found cut in half in two suitcases. The murder is investigated by tough detective Kennesaw (Michael Rooker) and his less experienced partner Braxton (Chris Penn).

Wayland is a heavy drinker, despite suffering from epilepsy, and a compulsive liar, prone to apparent memory lapses and committing select acts of violence. He is rich enough to access necessary information, however, and he soon learns his two police interrogators' own dark secrets - Kennesaw had an affair with Elizabeth to get back at his own wife (Rosanna Arquette) for cheating on him, while Braxton has gambling debts with a bookie known as "Mook" (Ellen Burstyn), who is demanding $20,000 that Braxton owes her.