The Deal, directed by Harvey Kahn, begins with the premise that the United States is at war with the Confederation of Arab States, resulting in the burning of oilfields. Accordingly, the price of gas at the pump, if available, is $6 per gallon. The resulting energy crisis prompts two initiatives--a search for more petroleum and an overdue legislative proposal for tax credits to firms to develop alternative energy sources. Abbey (played by Selma Blair), a recent Harvard School of Business graduate, is eager for the latter, while Condor Oil & Gas, a New York firm, seeks the former. Indeed, Condor is trying to close a deal for $20 billion of oil from Black Star, a Russian company. However, the Condor executive who is attempting to close the deal is mysteriously killed. Condor's CEO Jared Tolson (played by Robert Loggia) then decides to rely on Delaney & Strong, a Wall Street firm that can arrange financing for large projects; rather than taking the deal to the head of the firm, he directly selects D&S's top employee Tom Hanson (played by Christian Slater) to handle the matter. With a commission of $25 million, he accepts As a result, the D&S's specialist in energy matters is miffed; accordingly, he testifies against the alternative energy bill in Congress and asks a subordinate to spy on Hanson so that he can squelch the deal between Black Star and Condor. Hanson learns later that Black Star is a shell company which illegally buys from the enemy Arab confederation and then seeks to launders the profit as a legitimate sale with Condor. The complex plot, with words and camera footage often drowned out by an overly loud filmscore, thus serves as a window into Wall Street backstabbing, financing, money laundering, skirting around the law (called the "real world" by Tolson), and sexual conquests. If the film is a warning that oil prices are likely to skyrocket before a sufficient quantity of alternative energy sources is available, the message is lost as murders by the Russian mafia pile up and Wall Street employees put their own jealousies and sexual appetites above the interest of the country. MH
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