Duplicity
starring Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson
directed by Tom Gilroy
So, do you remember the trailer to this movie? It was all full of spy-esque mystery and intrigue, and hinted at a fair amount of comedy and spoof to the genre. It looked, well, fun. I didn’t know what exactly to expect going in, but I wasn’t expecting much more than an enjoyable evening out with Jen and forgetting about the hustle and bustle for a few hours.
I wasn’t disappointed, but I wasn’t impressed either. The movie was indeed fun, for the most part. It is a con buddy flick, in the vain of Ocean’s Eleven. Owen and Roberts are both ex-agents, and are looking to get into the private sector to rip off some company for a few million bucks. Sweet, right? What they fail to tell us in the trailer is that the private sector jobs they pick up are information security for competing retail giants. Makers of soap, lotion, toothpaste, etc., that are trying to get a jump on each other in the market place. Ooh, so exciting. Owen and Roberts will attempt to steal one of the company’s new projects, sell it off to a Swedish company, live on room service forever, yadda yadda we’ve seen the plot before.
The best acting in the entire film is from the supporting cast; the competing CEOs, Wilkinson and Giamatti. My favorite scene inparticular is during the opening credits. These two meet on a tarmac, in the rain, and attack each other verbally and eventually physically…all in over emphasized slow motion. It was a genius choice by Gilroy, and went off like a charm. I laughed pretty hard. Giamatti and Wilkinson are always a treat; they delve so deeply into even the minutest roles and make them shine.
I wish I could say the same for the two leads. Owens was the typical Owens character; tall, dark, and handsome, quick wit, sly, and (as so amply stated in the film) a huge set of balls. Roberts too played the smart, cunning, always ahead of the game femme she plays in this type of movie, but I’m growing tired of her ‘America’s Sweetheart’ image. Forgive me, but I think she’s getting way too old for that. She’s not taking roles that fit her age, and she’s losing that girlish charm that worked so well for her in her earlier days. I think Owens and Roberts need to do more films like their first together, Closer. Both gave brilliant, dark performances that had depth. This movie felt like a pay check for them both.
Without giving too much away, the plot was twisting, told out of order, and over worked, in my opinion. So many of these ‘keep you guessing’ movies go the easy way out and give you a climax that is out of left ball park. Instead of giving itself multiple rewatchability with dropping hints and giving an ending that connects (much like Fight Club) Duplicity opts for the ending that there is not possible way you could have seen coming. Its like Gilroy wrote himself into a corner and thought, “Oh, the audience will never see this coming and it’ll help me finish this going nowhere movie.” Not to sound too harsh.
Speaking of Gilroy though, the directing makes up for the lack in plot. There are some very finely shot sequences, and you can really feel a guiding hand behind the camera. Well done. Supporting cast and great timing and direction made the flick watchable.
I enjoyed myself, and I would encourage others to go see it. It is worth the purchase of a ticket and an overpriced tub of buttered popcorn. However, I don’t think it is worth a re-viewing, and I wouldn’t waste my money buying it on Blu-Ray, much less DVD. It’s a one trick pony.
Duplicity
starring Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson
directed by Tom Gilroy
So, do you remember the trailer to this movie? It was all full of spy-esque mystery and intrigue, and hinted at a fair amount of comedy and spoof to the genre. It looked, well, fun. I didn’t know what exactly to expect going in, but I wasn’t expecting much more than an enjoyable evening out with Jen and forgetting about the hustle and bustle for a few hours.
I wasn’t disappointed, but I wasn’t impressed either. The movie was indeed fun, for the most part. It is a con buddy flick, in the vain of Ocean’s Eleven. Owen and Roberts are both ex-agents, and are looking to get into the private sector to rip off some company for a few million bucks. Sweet, right? What they fail to tell us in the trailer is that the private sector jobs they pick up are information security for competing retail giants. Makers of soap, lotion, toothpaste, etc., that are trying to get a jump on each other in the market place. Ooh, so exciting. Owen and Roberts will attempt to steal one of the company’s new projects, sell it off to a Swedish company, live on room service forever, yadda yadda we’ve seen the plot before.
The best acting in the entire film is from the supporting cast; the competing CEOs, Wilkinson and Giamatti. My favorite scene inparticular is during the opening credits. These two meet on a tarmac, in the rain, and attack each other verbally and eventually physically…all in over emphasized slow motion. It was a genius choice by Gilroy, and went off like a charm. I laughed pretty hard. Giamatti and Wilkinson are always a treat; they delve so deeply into even the minutest roles and make them shine.
I wish I could say the same for the two leads. Owens was the typical Owens character; tall, dark, and handsome, quick wit, sly, and (as so amply stated in the film) a huge set of balls. Roberts too played the smart, cunning, always ahead of the game femme she plays in this type of movie, but I’m growing tired of her ‘America’s Sweetheart’ image. Forgive me, but I think she’s getting way too old for that. She’s not taking roles that fit her age, and she’s losing that girlish charm that worked so well for her in her earlier days. I think Owens and Roberts need to do more films like their first together, Closer. Both gave brilliant, dark performances that had depth. This movie felt like a pay check for them both.
Without giving too much away, the plot was twisting, told out of order, and over worked, in my opinion. So many of these ‘keep you guessing’ movies go the easy way out and give you a climax that is out of left ball park. Instead of giving itself multiple rewatchability with dropping hints and giving an ending that connects (much like Fight Club) Duplicity opts for the ending that there is not possible way you could have seen coming. Its like Gilroy wrote himself into a corner and thought, “Oh, the audience will never see this coming and it’ll help me finish this going nowhere movie.” Not to sound too harsh.
Speaking of Gilroy though, the directing makes up for the lack in plot. There are some very finely shot sequences, and you can really feel a guiding hand behind the camera. Well done. Supporting cast and great timing and direction made the flick watchable.
I enjoyed myself, and I would encourage others to go see it. It is worth the purchase of a ticket and an overpriced tub of buttered popcorn. However, I don’t think it is worth a re-viewing, and I wouldn’t waste my money buying it on Blu-Ray, much less DVD. It’s a one trick pony.