The Deal (2005)

Director:

Harvey Kahn

Writer:

Ruth Epstein (written by)

Release Date:

17 June 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The world is at war.

Plot:

A political thriller steeped in illegal oil trading, the Russian Mafia, and governmental cover-ups. |

Plot Keywords:

Cleaning Lady | Oil Industry | Newspaper Headline | Airplane | Political Thriller

Cast

Christian Slater	...	Tom Hanson
Selma Blair	...	Abbey Gallagher
Robert Loggia	...	Jared Tolson
Colm Feore	...	Hank Weiss
Angie Harmon	...	Anna
John Heard	...	Professor Roseman
Kevin Tighe	...	John Cortland
Philip Granger	...	Jerome Halliday
Françoise Yip	...	Janice Long
Jim Thorburn	...	Shane Waller
Paul McGillion	...	Richard Kester
Christine Lippa	...	Lucy Rahlston
Jennifer Clement	...	Sara Kester
Mike Dopud	...	Theo Gorbov
Vyacheslav Vinnik	...	Nicholai Chernoff
Peter Hall	...	Clark Jackwell
Jay Robert Inslee	...	Senator Lucas
Linda Darlow	...	Erma
Frida Betrani	...	Jared's Secretary
Tony Alcantar	...	Agent Grazer
Peter LaCroix	...	Rod
Aubrey Arnason	...	Deena Scott
Tom McBeath	...	Board Member No. 1
Marc Baur	...	Client No. 1
Nathaniel DeVeaux	...	Officer
Valentina Ballos	...	Cleaning Woman
Howard Storey	...	Armed Security Guard

Directed by
Harvey Kahn

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ruth Epstein		written by

Produced by
Michael Carlin	....	associate producer
Chris Dorr	....	producer
Sheri Elowsky	....	associate producer
Ruth Epstein	....	producer
Harvey Kahn	....	producer
Kevin W. Kennedy	....	executive producer
Ken Lawson	....	line producer
Robert Lee	....	producer
David Leuschen	....	executive producer
Bernadette Meyers	....	associate producer
Mark Shafir	....	executive producer
Christian Slater	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Christopher Lennertz

Cinematography by
Adam Sliwinski

Film Editing by
Richard Schwadel

Casting by
Lindsay Chag

Production Design by
Andrew Deskin

Art Direction by
Kristina Lyne

Set Decoration by
Ian Nothnagel

Costume Design by
Katia Stano

Makeup Department
Ankaraj Eden	....	key makeup artist (as Ankara Eden)
Alla Kornilov	....	assistant makeup artist
Lee Novak	....	assistant hair stylist
Robert A. Pandini	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Jaye Gazeley	....	unit manager
Ken Lawson	....	production manager
Bernadette Meyers	....	post-production supervisor
Claudia Vianello	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Lee	....	first assistant director
Melissa Patton	....	third assistant director
Patrick Weir	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Carole Alexander	....	lead dresser
Bobbi Allyn	....	set decoration buyer (as Bobbi Uhrich-Allyn)
Todd Keller	....	on-set dresser
Elizabeth Mackinnon	....	assistant props
Mark McGann	....	assistant set decorator
Sean McGee	....	props assistant
Noni Peck	....	property master
Michael Raylevick	....	paint coordinator
Mike Robertson	....	graphic artist
Ken Sullivan	....	construction coordinator
Tamara Susik	....	on-set props

Sound Department
Rick Bold	....	boom operator
Brian Campbell	....	dialogue editor
Kris Casavant	....	assistant sound editor
Jay Cheetham	....	sound editor
Dario DiSanto	....	foley editor
Steven Erickson	....	adr recordist
Kris Fenske	....	sound designer
Talvinder Gill	....	assistant sound editor
Mark Klausmayer	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin Konarzewski	....	adr mixer
Matt Kunau	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Philip J. MacCormick	....	production sound mixer
Laurie Melhus	....	audio coordinator
Iain Pattison	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jean Raymond	....	foley mixer
Adam Sharpe	....	adr mixer
Paul A. Sharpe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Shane Shemko	....	foley artist
Joe Spivak	....	sound effects editor
Janice Thompson	....	assistant sound editor
Ann Townshend	....	assistant sound editor (as Anne Townshend)
Cam Wagner	....	foley artist
Todd R. Mason	....	sound effects recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Cara E. Anderson	....	special effects technician
Rory Cutler	....	special effects supervisor

Stunts
Brett Armstrong	....	stunt coordinator
Alette Falle	....	stunt double
Owen Walstrom	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Douglas Arculus	....	lamp operator
Bill Baxter	....	gaffer
Simon Bayley	....	lamp operator
Denver John Collins	....	director of photography: New York (as Denver Collins)
Glen A. Dickson	....	additional camera operator
James Dittiger	....	still photographer
Kathy Herndl	....	camera loader
Dean Heselden	....	steadicam operator
Morrison C. Huston	....	first assistant camera: New York
Darren Joseph	....	second assistant camera
Regine Klein	....	best girl grip
Robin Lindala	....	camera operator
Todd MacLand	....	lamp operator
Trevor C. Martin	....	dolly grip
Paul Michaud	....	still photographer
Steven N. Moore	....	steadicam operator
Martin Nicholas	....	key grip
Joseph Paolini	....	grip: New York (as Joe Paolini)
Sergio Petre	....	grip
Dave Petry	....	grip
Johnny Scarvada	....	grip
Wolfgang Suk	....	best boy electric (as Wolfi Suk)
Jim Swanson	....	rigging gaffer
Trent Wiltse	....	generator operator

Casting Department
Audrey Skalbania	....	extras casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer Dawson	....	costume set supervisor (as Jen Dawson)
Andrea Desroches	....	assistant costume designer (as Andrea Des Roches)
Andrea Hiestand	....	truck costumer
Marie Hock	....	extras costumer

Editorial Department
Ed Dobbs	....	color timer
Bethany Handfield	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Richard Bronskill	....	orchestrator
Peter Fuchs	....	music scoring engineer
Corey A. Jackson	....	orchestrator
Steve Juliani	....	music preparation
Andrew Kinney	....	orchestrator
Christopher Lennertz	....	orchestrator
Gerard K. Marino	....	orchestrator
Paul Talkington	....	music contractor
Marcus Trumpp	....	orchestrator
Christopher Violette	....	music editor
Christopher Violette	....	music supervisor
Allan Wilson	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Ron Buyck	....	transportation captain
Dean Fitzpatrick	....	transportation coordinator
John Sorenson	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Frida Betrani	....	stand-in
Kelly Boulding	....	location production assistant
David J. Bowler	....	assistant coordinator
Michael Carlin	....	unit publicist
Colin Chamberlain	....	location production assistant
James Fantin	....	assistant coordinator
Carole Fleming	....	location production assistant
Elaine Fleming	....	production coordinator
Djoi Francis	....	production assistant: New York
Chrishon Gambarotto	....	key production assistant
Chrishon Gambarotto	....	trainee assistant locations
Jaye Gazeley	....	location manager
Tyler Harris	....	location production assistant
Nancy Heller	....	assistant production accountant
John Knowlton	....	assistant location manager
Christopher A. Lambert	....	location production assistant
Stacey Moores	....	extras craft service
Sue Pidhorney	....	assistant: Mr. Slater
Joseph Ramaglia	....	production assistant: New York
Sandy Reynolds	....	craft service
Brian Russo	....	production assistant: New York
Svatia Sakarova	....	production accountant
Kyle Stein	....	stand-in
Linda Strathdee	....	script supervisor
Marnie Teremuende	....	post-production accountant (as Marnie Termuende)

Production Companies

• Front Street Productions
• Myriad Pictures

Distributors

• Deal Street Pictures Inc.
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• E Stars Films (2005) (China) (all media)
• Front Street Productions (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Imagem Filmes (2005) (Brazil) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• International SPFX Group

Other Companies

• Background, The  walla group
• Bush Edit House  negative cutting
• Film Effects  titles and digital opticals
• Rainmaker Digital Pictures  telecine
• Sharpe Sound Studios  audio post-production

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence.

Runtime:

USA:107 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English | Russian

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #41237) | Iceland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Front Street Productions

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Abbey Gallagher: What if there was no oil?

Movie Connections:

References Wall Street (1987)

Soundtrack:

As If It Were Yesterday

political thriller ... quite routine and made without inspiration

Director Harvey Kahn was completely deprived of any inspiration in bringing to screen this political thriller story, happening in the corridors of the big corporate companies dealing with dirty oil deals, in a close but probable future where the western world is immersed in a war with the Arab oil-rich countries.

Nothing can really save this production. The screenplay is routine and full of stereotypes, not batter in complexity than a mid-level TV movie. Acting of Christian Slater is fair, and Selma Blair getting full time screen is quite promising as an actress, but not enough to carry the film higher. Directing is mediocre, it keeps the conflict being obscure and confusing at the start, does not make anything happening on the screen more clear or more interesting later, and moves the camera in a neutral and dry manner.

Routine stuff, nobody would have been sorry if this film was not made.