Duplicity (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
2 spies (Julia Roberts & Clive Owen) team up to pull off the ultimate con job on their bosses in 'Duplicity', written & directed by Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton). Tipped off that there's a new medical innovation on the horizon, the duo's manipulation of this corporate race is one that 'could' reap large profits for them. However, do either of them trust one another once & IF they pull off the heist? Julia & Clive make a great onscreen couple (they already were in 04's Closer). The writing is crisp. The twists keep coming. The cinematography is slick. The musical score is playful. The locales are enticing. All that said, 'Duplicity' is needlessly confusing. The narrative structure (with leaping back & forth in time) is definitely its biggest drawback.
The opening scene sets the tone for the proceedings: shot in exaggerated slow motion, 2 corporate tycoons (played by Paul Giamatti & Tom Wilkinson; funny enough, they just played John Adams & Benjamin Franklin together in another project) start arguing, then wrestling, then all-out punching each other in the middle of the rain as their undermen stare on in wonderment; thinking, "Is THIS what American business practices have come to?". There's just something acutely humorous about having this particular scene (with Giamatti & Wilkinson hamming it up) open the film. It sets the tone.
The film then jumps 5 yrs. ago to Rome, Italy with the 1st meeting btwn. CIA op Claire Stenwick (Roberts) & MI-6 agent Ray Koval (Owen). The affaire doesn't last long & Ray winds up drugged by Claire by the end of it. The movie then skips (as it will throughout) to today in NYC, where Claire & Ray meet again. By now, Ray is an industrial espionage expert working for Equikrom (Giamatti's cosmetics company). Claire is a director of security for Equikrom's main rival, Burkett & Randle (Wilkinson's). Before long, we (and they) discover that 'she' is an Equikrom mole, & 'he' is her new handler. Oh, the sweet irony.
Realizing that war btwn. 2 corporations could prove to be highly profitable, the duo decide (after claiming that they love each other) to team-up; and try to pull a one-over on their bosses. The plan is to steal the formula for a trailblazing product that would bring fortune to whichever company patents it first. The duo would bestow said formula to a 3rd corporation, cash in, & live the rest of their lives in bliss. But acquiring it (amid all of their espionage/undercover friends & co-workers) would be one Hell of a task. The stakes rise. The tactics to nab the formula get dirtier & dirtier. And all the while, Claire & Ray doubt each other's testaments of love. Since their own lives are made up of lies ... even if they do love each other, how can they trust one another? And who else ever would?
Tony Gilroy has managed to create something not only casual, breezy & fun, but also whip-smart, mind-bending, & tense (at times) ... the goal of every romantic spy thriller. I liked 'Duplicity' on a base level because I feel like it's just been a long time since a movie like this has surfaced; it's very mid-90's. Any other tangible (or intangible) reason why I liked it is just icing on the cake. The look of the film is stellar (nice shots, unique edits). The music kept me invested. The 'lying cheating, & stealing' is fun to watch. And then you've got Roberts & Owen. 2 ultra-cool Hollywood stars -- Roberts, more so. I am a big Julia Roberts fan. So seeing her do this well in a decent movie makes me very happy (another one of those intangibles I spoke of earlier).
Giamatti lends us his manic, worrisome energy. And Wilkinson gives us his steely, snake-like authoritarian. I think of 'Duplicity' as a sort of superior Mr. & Mrs. Smith (just take away the guns, and add the intelligent dialogue). It's smart, mildly sexy, & nerve-wracking (a few times). I really enjoyed the ending, even though it's the type of ending that I would not ordinarily enjoy (take that for what it is). But 'Duplicity' is not a clear homerun. 1) There are small plot holes; holes that would not hold up upon later inspection. 2) There are/is too many twists, counter-twists, fake-outs, & leaps of time. It's very easy to get 'lost' while watching this movie. And seeing as this is supposed to be a comedic, sexy, light entertainment (in general), the jumpy/non-linearity of the plot makes 'Duplicity' more of a chore to sit through than it should be. Still ... I chuckled a lot. I got my money's worth. And there's not much else out there to match this quality.
The opening scene sets the tone for the proceedings: shot in exaggerated slow motion, 2 corporate tycoons (played by Paul Giamatti & Tom Wilkinson; funny enough, they just played John Adams & Benjamin Franklin together in another project) start arguing, then wrestling, then all-out punching each other in the middle of the rain as their undermen stare on in wonderment; thinking, "Is THIS what American business practices have come to?". There's just something acutely humorous about having this particular scene (with Giamatti & Wilkinson hamming it up) open the film. It sets the tone.
The film then jumps 5 yrs. ago to Rome, Italy with the 1st meeting btwn. CIA op Claire Stenwick (Roberts) & MI-6 agent Ray Koval (Owen). The affaire doesn't last long & Ray winds up drugged by Claire by the end of it. The movie then skips (as it will throughout) to today in NYC, where Claire & Ray meet again. By now, Ray is an industrial espionage expert working for Equikrom (Giamatti's cosmetics company). Claire is a director of security for Equikrom's main rival, Burkett & Randle (Wilkinson's). Before long, we (and they) discover that 'she' is an Equikrom mole, & 'he' is her new handler. Oh, the sweet irony.
Realizing that war btwn. 2 corporations could prove to be highly profitable, the duo decide (after claiming that they love each other) to team-up; and try to pull a one-over on their bosses. The plan is to steal the formula for a trailblazing product that would bring fortune to whichever company patents it first. The duo would bestow said formula to a 3rd corporation, cash in, & live the rest of their lives in bliss. But acquiring it (amid all of their espionage/undercover friends & co-workers) would be one Hell of a task. The stakes rise. The tactics to nab the formula get dirtier & dirtier. And all the while, Claire & Ray doubt each other's testaments of love. Since their own lives are made up of lies ... even if they do love each other, how can they trust one another? And who else ever would?
Tony Gilroy has managed to create something not only casual, breezy & fun, but also whip-smart, mind-bending, & tense (at times) ... the goal of every romantic spy thriller. I liked 'Duplicity' on a base level because I feel like it's just been a long time since a movie like this has surfaced; it's very mid-90's. Any other tangible (or intangible) reason why I liked it is just icing on the cake. The look of the film is stellar (nice shots, unique edits). The music kept me invested. The 'lying cheating, & stealing' is fun to watch. And then you've got Roberts & Owen. 2 ultra-cool Hollywood stars -- Roberts, more so. I am a big Julia Roberts fan. So seeing her do this well in a decent movie makes me very happy (another one of those intangibles I spoke of earlier).
Giamatti lends us his manic, worrisome energy. And Wilkinson gives us his steely, snake-like authoritarian. I think of 'Duplicity' as a sort of superior Mr. & Mrs. Smith (just take away the guns, and add the intelligent dialogue). It's smart, mildly sexy, & nerve-wracking (a few times). I really enjoyed the ending, even though it's the type of ending that I would not ordinarily enjoy (take that for what it is). But 'Duplicity' is not a clear homerun. 1) There are small plot holes; holes that would not hold up upon later inspection. 2) There are/is too many twists, counter-twists, fake-outs, & leaps of time. It's very easy to get 'lost' while watching this movie. And seeing as this is supposed to be a comedic, sexy, light entertainment (in general), the jumpy/non-linearity of the plot makes 'Duplicity' more of a chore to sit through than it should be. Still ... I chuckled a lot. I got my money's worth. And there's not much else out there to match this quality.