Lies and Deception

Medical intrigue is lost in a sea of blandness in this flimsy mystery thriller. Kept afloat solely by the visual appeal and adequate chemistry of the two leads, the suspense-free clunker sees Chicago widow Mädchen Amick employ the services of hunky private eye Andrew Walker when she discovers her doctor husband faked his own death five years earlier. Poor direction and an underdeveloped script ensure that their subsequent investigation is light on both action and explanation, leaving it to the pair's ludicrous though predictable romance to provide much-needed padding. The pace quickens in the closing act, with a burst of activity to accompany the inevitable revelation of the truth, but this last-ditch effort is pointless after such a lacklustre build-up.