The Deal
Front Street Productions | Release Date: June 17, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
46
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
11
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
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. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyF. X. Feeney
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. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
But the problem is, The Deal, like a lot of real-life Wall Street deals, is a labyrinth into which the plot tends to disappear. The ideas in the film are challenging, the level of expertise is high, the performances are convincing, and it's only at the level of story construction and dramatic clarity that the film doesn't succeed. Read full review
60
VarietyRobert Koehler
Never entirely convincing yet always watchable. Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen Holden
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. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
If you don't mind the telegraphed punches of Ruth Epstein's script and Harvey Kahn's direction, this should carry you along. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
If Epstein and Kahn's plot mechanics were as fresh as the headlines from which they borrow, they might have been on to something. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The subject is intriguing even if the dialogue is stilted and the acting is uneven. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano
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. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
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. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
The story's unnecessary and unconvincing Russian spies are out of "Rocky & Bullwinkle," but Blair is quite enjoyable as a sassy, capable idealist. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Has the worst happy ending I've seen in a while. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Blame the unsexy subject matter if you want, but blame the uninspired casting first. Read full review
40
Village VoiceJoshua Land
The thriller plot sputters and the romance between Slater and eco-friendly Harvard MBA Selma Blair is a nonstarter, but the movie's threadbare execution actually enhances its queasy vision of a nation in decline. Read full review
25
New York PostKyle Smith
A flat, would-be thriller pausing briefly on its journey to video stores. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
A bigger mess than the gas crisis. Read full review
10
Washington PostDesson Thomson
If Slater were a bigger star, this self-serving vehicle would have been a hoot, a surefire DVD attraction for any Camp Night in the living room, not to mention a shoo-in for one of the 10 worst movies of 2005. Read full review
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