Click to read the article
The Deal (2005)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:34
Fresh:7
Rotten:27
Average Rating:4.5/10
Theatrical Release:Jun 17, 2005 Limited
Synopsis: Mired in a war in the Middle East, the US is seized by the worst oil shortage in history. Gas prices skyrocket, further weakening an already faltering economy. Wall Street is hobbled by corruption.... Mired in a war in the Middle East, the US is seized by the worst oil shortage in history. Gas prices skyrocket, further weakening an already faltering economy. Wall Street is hobbled by corruption. The nation is on edge. Against this chaos, Wall Street big shot TOM HANSEN, is shocked to learn of the death of his best friend RICHARD KESTER, a top executive for one of the nation's leading oil companies - Condor. But when he's approached by Richard's boss, JARED TOLSEN, to advise on a big oil merger his friend was working on, he jumps at the chance to kickstart his faltering career. At the same time idealistic business school graduate ABBEY GALLAGHER is convinced by Tom to join his prestigious investment bank to work on a deal that promotes alternative energy use. Tom finds himself unexpectedly drawn to Abbey's energy and enthusiasm, qualities long since lost in him. Sexual tension builds and they embark on a risky love affair. Tom starts researching the Condor deal. The merger target is Black Star, a Russian oil company. Tom soon discovers that things are not as they should be. Black Star's oil regions are dry yet they still manage to deliver scarce oil to the US. Digging deeper, Tom begins to uncover a global conspiracy of illegal oil trafficking, governmental cover-ups and murder. Tom receives threats. He's forced to distance himself from Abbey to protect her. Believing he may be involved in something illegal, Abbey begins her own investigation leading to her kidnap by the Russian mafia when she too learns too much. With the clock ticking, Tom has to put his career, his reputation and even his life in jeopardy to protect Abbey and expose the truth about the deal. --© Myriad Pictures [More]
Starring: Christian Slater, Selma Blair, John Heard, Angie Harmon
Starring: Christian Slater, Selma Blair, John Heard, Angie Harmon
Director: Harvey Kahn
Director: Harvey Kahn
Get This Movie
Reviews for The Deal
The elaborate suspense revolving around the toxic mix of oil, money and politics that the media only ever seems to brush the surface, makes for heady viewing.
[T]he feeling of concrete, this-ain't-science-fiction reality the film creates is effectively low-key eerie...
Works more effectively as a collegiate dissertation than a fictional dissection of people caught in events beyond their control.
Basically, The Deal looks and sounds a whole lot like a big-budget, feature-length TV commercial for Merrill Lynch.
There's too much of that inside-baseball talk, and too many ridiculous plot turns that require intelligent people to make really stupid decisions, just so the suspense can be sustained.
Most of the action takes place in board meetings, with characters handing each other secret memos or talking on the phone; it's a shockingly non-visual movie.
Would you put a billion-dollar deal in the hands of Christian Slater?
Though torn from tomorrow's political headlines, the story is too convoluted to be either entertaining or comprehensible.
This is one hell of a cast and they all do a great job with the piss-poor script.
Epstein and Kahn might have been better off leaving the assassinations, kidnappings and cliffhangers to Grisham and made a simpler, more realistic movie about a desperate young banker juggling deals and trying to stay afloat.
Far from the real deal when it comes to even a modicum of plausibility on a politically hot topic.
Shot largely in Toronto and cast with the best of the B-list, this film has the low-rent gloss of a made-for-cable thriller.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 67% 67% | Bruno |
| 47% 47% | My Sister's Keeper |
| 66% 66% | Is Anybody There? |
| 82% 82% | Thirst |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

TECHLAND gives us a first look at the extras, including Leonard Nimoy's last day on set!

AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


