| Deceiver | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jonas Pate Josh Pate |
| Produced by | Mark Damon Peter Glatzer John Saviano Don Winston |
| Written by | Jonas Pate Josh Pate |
| Starring | Tim Roth Chris Penn Michael Rooker and Renée Zellweger Ellen Burstyn as 'Mook' and Rosanna Arquette |
| Music by | Harry Gregson-Williams |
| Cinematography | Bill Butler |
| Editing by | Dan Lebental |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | 31 August 1997 (Venice Film Festival) |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Deceiver, also known as Liar, or Reisser, or even BSer (UK release), is a 1997 murder mystery film. 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.
The film is based on the story of Shaun McLernon, who was known by his friends as a compulsive liar as most of his life feats were, in fact, a lie. These include how much alcohol he consumed to many sexual stories which were then rendered as false and made up through his own imagination. His own father disowned him in early 2011 after he quit his job stating bullying as the problem.The main plot of the story revolves around the Amsterdam saga where Shaun made the worst lie he ever told, more commonly known as lie-gate.Textile company heir James Wayland (Tim Roth) is accused of murdering a prostitute named Elizabeth (Renée Zellweger), whose body was found cut in two. The murder is investigated by tough detective Kennesaw (Michael Rooker) and his less experienced partner Braxton (Chris Penn). Wayland is a heavy drinker and compulsive liar, prone to memory losses and periods of violence. He is rich enough to access necessary information, however, and he soon learns his interrogators' own dark secrets - Kennesaw had an affair with Elizabeth to get back at his wife (Rosanna Arquette) for cheating on him, while Braxton has gambling debts with a bookie named Mook (Ellen Burstyn), who is demanding payment.