Movie 167: Duplicity

Duplicity (2009) by Tony Gilroy
starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts

In a nutshell: Fun and somewhat unpredictable. Slickly made - equal parts Ocean's 12 and Michael Clayton - but probably won't end up sticking with me very long. Nothing terribly original except the corporate espionage setting.

Quick synopsis: Ray (Owen) and Claire (Roberts) are entangled in a high-stakes game of corporate espionage.



Content: Duplicity caught my attention right away. It is director Tony Gilroy's 2nd movie after Michael Clayton which I liked more than a little. So I was very interested to see what he'd do with a slightly less serious movie. Sure the stakes are high, but unlike Michael Clayton, no one is ever really in danger. The devious CEO's of the two battling companies are obsessed, but are also not the type to start ordering hits. Gilroy hilariously establishes this fact during the opening credits with a slow motion fist fight between the two. Except, let's just say it wasn't Ali/Frazier. Flailing swings and awkward bear hugs result in almost no damage being done until Tom Wilkinson lets an errant fist fly into the pavement.

The movie is slickly made. It is the kind of movie that confuses you for the first hour because it is supposed to, but does a good job of slowly revealing the truth about what is going on. It's pretty much a solid B/B+ all-around, but never reaches that next level that would make it stick with you. The world of corporate espionage is one that I was not terribly familiar with, so that aspect is cool. The twists and turns, while hard to see coming, aren't that earth-shattering.

Clive and Julia are solid and the main problem with them is in the writing. Professionally, their characters are well-put together and leave nothing to chance, but in their dealings with each other are very haphazard and leave themselves open to getting screwed in ways they never would as spies. It's inconsistent.

Duplicity is definitely worth watching. Expect to enjoy it without being blown away.

Rolling rankings:
1. Do The Right Thing (#162)

2. Duplicity (#167)

3. Battle Royale (#165)

4. Into the Wild (#166)

5. Doubt (#160)

6. Interview With The Vampire (#163)

7. I Love You, Man (#164)

8. The Happening (#161)

9. Fever Pitch (#158)

10. Fanboys (#159)