You are here:

Deception

Name: Deception
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Released: 2021
Duration: 105 min

Representation Score

7.6/10

Good

2021

Director

Arnaud Desplechin

Runtime

105 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Arnaud Desplechin’s drama stands out for its intellectual complexity, especially in addressing gender and moral fluidity. By giving female characters significant roles and deconstructing traditional relationship norms, the film provides a sophisticated look at human desire and psychological depth. However, the film is limited by a lack of racial and ethnic diversity. Its narrative remains anchored in a homogeneous European context, missing opportunities for broader representation. Ultimately, the film explores subjective truths. It successfully challenges social hierarchies through its narrative structure, even if it remains narrow in its geographic and racial scope.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Deception have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film challenges traditional assumptions about relationships by showing fluid connections between characters. It focuses on a nuanced exploration of human desires rather than strict identity categories.

How does Deception portray gender?

Good

Female characters play key roles in driving the story's psychological tension rather than being passive. The film balances intellectual and emotional weight equally between genders, challenging traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Deception?

Limited

The setting and casting reflect a predominantly European environment. The narrative lacks diverse representation and significant non-Anglo-Saxon characters.

How does Deception represent religion and culture?

Good

The story emphasizes personal psychological truth over religious doctrine. It adopts a modern, secular approach to ethics and moral relativism.

Does Deception include disability representation?

Fair

Themes of physical vulnerability appear through a character confined to a hospital. These elements serve as catalysts for memory rather than deep explorations of disability.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender roles by giving female characters significant roles and emotional weight.
Explores human desire through fluid relationships rather than rigid identities.
Prioritizes personal psychological truth over dogmatic beliefs.

Limited or Absent

Lacks significant racial and ethnic diversity within its European setting.
Uses disability primarily as a narrative device for memory rather than exploring lived experiences.
Homogeneous casting limits the film's broader representation.

Official Synopsis

An American writer living in exile in London, Philip listens to women. His English mistress, who visits him regularly in the studio that serves as their refuge. A student he loved in another life. A former lover confined to a hospital in New York.

How are these scores produced? →