If there is anything that cannot be questioned about the character of Annie Tatum Stein, it is that she has a rectitude that that defines her strong moral compass. The hard-driving architect has succeeded as a career woman. But she has a lapse of judgment when she meets Oliver Graham at the Rooftop Café, then moves him into her home within the next three months. Oliver is the alias of Ben, a swindler, art thief, and murderer, who takes advantage of Annie to steal plans to access a vault with paintings valued in the millions. The drama of "Boyfriend's Deceit" (a.k.a., "Treacherous") is Annie's awakening to her own gullibility. Because she is so honest, she takes it for granted that others are the same. In the film's major action scenes, Annie is arrested, makes a daring escape when the police transfer vehicle is sabotaged by one of Ben's associates, and engages in a mad scramble to safeguard a priceless painting. Annie's greatest asset in proving her innocence comes from her guilt-ridden father and the head of Annie's architectural firm. Mr. Stein had an affair that destroyed his wife. Annie never forgave her father, even changing her surname to distance herself from the past. Now, the dad has an opportunity to express his love for his daughter by placing his faith in her innocence, then proving her strength of character to the police. Although the actress playing Annie chose to play the character is a very subdued manner, Annie's stoicism and determination still came across. The was a good build-up to the finale at the Rooftop Café, where Annie confronts Ben. The fight choreography with the painting in the tube used as a million-dollar battering ram was cleverly done. The final moment with the bonding of the father and daughter was the big payoff in this taut thriller.

Boyfriends Deceit