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Movies / Upcoming / The Deal
The Deal

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The Deal (2008)

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40 %
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Reviews Counted:5

Fresh:2

Rotten:3

Average Rating:4.4/10

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: What does it look like when a Hollywood movie producer suddenly has nothing to lose? Meet Charlie Berns, a guy whose suicidal tendencies give him the chutzpah to con a major studio into a $100... What does it look like when a Hollywood movie producer suddenly has nothing to lose? Meet Charlie Berns, a guy whose suicidal tendencies give him the chutzpah to con a major studio into a $100 million deal on a script he hasn't even read. At the very moment when his idealistic screenwriter nephew knocks on the door, toting a solemn art-house period script about Benjamin Disraeli, Charlie has literally had it with life. But the trade papers have announced that a recently converted black action star is actively seeking Jewish material, so the serendipity is too absurd to resist. Charlie masterminds a plan, making it impossible for the studio not to green-light this project, which, while Jewish, couldn't be further from an action flick. No matter. In Hollywood, perception is everything. Along the way, Charlie meets his match in Deidre Hearn, a sharp-witted development executive who sees right through his games but also recognizes that maybe his caution-to-the-wind philosophy has serious merit. The mischievous charm in this smart screwball satire about renegade producers bamboozling a soul-crushing industry hinges on the wonderfully crackly Tracy-Hepburn chemistry between William Macy and Meg Ryan. Steven Schachter's tongue-in-cheek romp revels in sending up Hollywood stereotypes—zealous star, histrionic director, slippery suits—but also Ryan's legacy as romantic comedy's "it" girl, and even the notion that it's possible to make a meaningful movie. -- © Sundance Film Festival [More]

Starring: William H. Macy, Meg Ryan, LL Cool J

Starring: William H. Macy, Meg Ryan, LL Cool J

Director: Steven Schachter

Director: Steven Schachter
Screenwriter: Steven Schachter, William H. Macy
Studio: MGM

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Deal

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1 - 8 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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The Deal could have had a more solid impact with a leaner script shaving off some of those subplot detours. And can we drop those lewd seduction routines in these movies already that hello, would never get the babe in the real world.

Full Review Source: NewsBlaze | comment Comment
01/15/09
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
NewsBlaze
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
10/18/08
Boxoffice Magazine
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Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
10/18/08
Boston Phoenix
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Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
10/18/08
Carina Chocano
Carina Chocano
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Lets many humorous conceits fly.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
04/15/08
Matthew Sorrento
Matthew Sorrento
Film Threat

Unfortunately, the characters seem to be doing all the laughing, while the general public has nothing to cling to but the horndog flirtation between mismatched leads William H. Macy and Meg Ryan -- hardly ideal ingredients for mainstream success.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
01/25/08
Peter Debruge
Peter Debruge
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Unfortunately, the characters seem to be doing all the laughing, while the general public has nothing to cling to but the horndog flirtation between mismatched leads William H. Macy and Meg Ryan.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
01/25/08
Peter Debruge
Peter Debruge
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A wacky Hollywood satire that never catches fire.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
01/25/08
Stephen Farber
Stephen Farber
Hollywood Reporter
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1 - 8 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for The Deal

January 17, 2009: The Deal could have had a more solid impact with a leaner script shaving off some of those subplot detours. And can we drop those lewd seduction routines in these movies already that hello, would never get the babe in the real world. Opens in new window
More...

January 15, 2009: The Deal could have had a more solid impact with a leaner script shaving off some of those subplot detours. And can we drop those lewd seduction routines in these movies already that hello, would never get the babe in the real world. Opens in new window
More...

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