Movie Review: Duplicity (2009)

A fun mix of romance and espionage

Tony Gilroy's follow-up to Michael Clayton certainly carries the star power, which is likely to draw more attention than the fact Clayton was nominated for Best Picture (and six other categories) and won Tilda Swinton an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Gilroy staked his claim in Hollywood writing the script for The Bourne Identity and has since become a highly influential filmmaker even though he may not already be a household name. With Julia Roberts and Clive Owen in tow for Duplicity Gilroy has put together an intriguing story that entertains even though it is a bit clunky at times with an abundance of flashbacks, a running time that tops two hours and could have certainly been tightened up a bit and an ending that just barely misses its mark.

The marketing for this film is a bit deceiving as it led me to believe it was something of a screwball comedy, and while it does have its comedic moments they come about as a matter of scripted circumstance and not as a result of forced pratfalls. Roberts and Owen star as a CIA agent and a member of Britain's MI6 respectively and the two find themselves working together all while the interests of big business CEOs played by Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson hang in the balance. To tell you anymore would ruin the surprise and I suggest you stay clear of any additional articles, reviews or footage of this film should you be interested in the slightest, it could only hurt your chances of going in fresh.

Plenty of attention is already being placed on Duplicity as it is a comeback of sorts for Julia Roberts as she is certainly the bigger name star when paired with Clive Owen whose stardom is limited at best here in the States. Now at the age of 41, Roberts certainly looks a bit different from her days as a rom-com lead throughout the '90s, but she still has the charm and smile that won over audiences back then and she surprisingly fits quite nicely into the role of a CIA agent, much better than I expected she would.

Alternatively, Owen, to no surprise, fits his role of an MI6 agent with ease and his banter back and forth with Roberts is the exact opposite from their last pairing in Closer. Their conversations are playful and considering their character's spy backgrounds the story trends toward mistrust more often than not and it plays well within the storyline as well as adding an intriguing element to their relationship, which at the same time keeps the audience on their toes.

While the flashbacks I mentioned in the opening did bother me, I will admit once the scenes begin it is typically a winning moment. It's just the continued bounce out of the present day story that becomes distracting and monotonous even though story details are revealed each time around.

Overall Duplicity is a fun, smart and sleek flick that could have been tightened up a bit, but it is enough fun to watch the characters on screen as the story plays out, even if, by the end, you aren't entirely satisfied with the ending.