Synopsis
A political thriller steeped in illegal oil trading, the Russian Mafia, and governmental cover-ups.
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Cast
- Christian SlaterTom Hanson
- Selma BlairAbbey Gallagher
- Robert LoggiaJared Tolson
- Colm FeoreHank Weiss
- Angie HarmonAnna
- John HeardProfessor Roseman
- Kevin TigheJohn Cortland
- Françoise YipJanice Long
- Paul McGillionRichard Kester
- Mike DopudTheo Gorbov
Recommendations
- 80
The Hollywood Reporter
Christian Slater and Selma Blair head a solid cast that Harvey Kahn directs with cool efficiency as the tension steadily rises with every passing minute. - 70
L.A. Weekly
Although the dialogue initially flakes with awkward exposition, writer Ruth Epstein and director Harvey Kahn have fashioned a riveting thriller full of good scares and learned, muckraking insight into the global labyrinth of oil and politics. - 60
Variety
Never entirely convincing yet always watchable. - 60
The New York Times
It's when The Deal leaves the corporate offices behind that the story turns into a bogus, convoluted mess. Once the Russian mafia, personified by Angie Harmon playing an evil seductress with a terrible Russian accent, rears its head, the ballgame is over. - 50
The A.V. Club
If Epstein and Kahn's plot mechanics were as fresh as the headlines from which they borrow, they might have been on to something. - 50
Christian Science Monitor
The subject is intriguing even if the dialogue is stilted and the acting is uneven. - 50
Los Angeles Times
The film might have worked as a taut, topical corporate intrigue thriller; instead, for all its ambition, it's just a routine mystery, despite a solid performance by Christian Slater. - 50
TV Guide Magazine
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.
