Running time: 124 minutes
Rating 7 out of 10
When you're deceptive and mistrustful for a living, then it doesn't bode well for your private life. And if that private life is romantically entwined with someone in the same profession, then things are doubly difficult. Such is the premise for the smart and sassy Duplicity in which Julia Roberts and Clive Owen play two spies who hatch a scheme to get rich by double crossing their employers.
Duplicity is only Tony Gilroy's second film as a director, following his debut with Michael Clayton, but is just the latest in an increasingly long and impressive list of writing credits which, in addition to Michael Clayton, includes all three Bourne films. At a time when the majority of releases range between dumb and dumber, Gilroy's intelligent and complex thrillers are a welcome respite.
Duplicity weaves the hot-blooded and coldly calculated relationship between Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) and Ray Koval's (Clive Owen) with the story of two competing giant corporations out to ruin each other. While the one time CIA agent Stenwick and the ex-MI6 agent Koval try to exploit the rivalry of the two companies for which they work, headed by Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti, the ruthless CEO's are equally duplicitous in their quest for supremacy.
The film jumps back and forth in time and around the world as it follows the encounters between Claire and Ray. It begins in Dubai five years previously when the two first meet. Ray's slick advances seemingly win the cool and aloof Claire over, but when she leaves him in the morning, after stealing some vital information from him, the question of trust becomes the central issue of their relationship. "You can't get past Dubai," she snaps years later during one of the frequent arguments the two have as they test one another's true feelings and motives. As the pair's joint plan develops, so does their underlying distrust.
Roberts and Owen are well matched. Her sparky wit contrasts with his more laconic approach. The verbal volleys between the two are always crisp and acerbic, creating a charged sexual tension that frequently crackles. The strong supporting cast is headed by Wilkinson and Giamatti as the two corporate titans who are seen coming to blows in a slow-motion opening sequence.
As the title suggests, Duplicity is filled with twists and turns. Keeping track of time and who's on whose side requires paying attention, but rather that than the usual ploy of spelling things out in large bold type. Throw in a few exotic locations and the welcome absence of the obligatory car chase and explosions and Duplicity is refreshingly clever and entertaining.
Kevin Murphy
Duplicity is only Tony Gilroy's second film as a director, following his debut with Michael Clayton, but is just the latest in an increasingly long and impressive list of writing credits which, in addition to Michael Clayton, includes all three Bourne films. At a time when the majority of releases range between dumb and dumber, Gilroy's intelligent and complex thrillers are a welcome respite.
Duplicity weaves the hot-blooded and coldly calculated relationship between Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) and Ray Koval's (Clive Owen) with the story of two competing giant corporations out to ruin each other. While the one time CIA agent Stenwick and the ex-MI6 agent Koval try to exploit the rivalry of the two companies for which they work, headed by Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti, the ruthless CEO's are equally duplicitous in their quest for supremacy.
The film jumps back and forth in time and around the world as it follows the encounters between Claire and Ray. It begins in Dubai five years previously when the two first meet. Ray's slick advances seemingly win the cool and aloof Claire over, but when she leaves him in the morning, after stealing some vital information from him, the question of trust becomes the central issue of their relationship. "You can't get past Dubai," she snaps years later during one of the frequent arguments the two have as they test one another's true feelings and motives. As the pair's joint plan develops, so does their underlying distrust.
Roberts and Owen are well matched. Her sparky wit contrasts with his more laconic approach. The verbal volleys between the two are always crisp and acerbic, creating a charged sexual tension that frequently crackles. The strong supporting cast is headed by Wilkinson and Giamatti as the two corporate titans who are seen coming to blows in a slow-motion opening sequence.
As the title suggests, Duplicity is filled with twists and turns. Keeping track of time and who's on whose side requires paying attention, but rather that than the usual ploy of spelling things out in large bold type. Throw in a few exotic locations and the welcome absence of the obligatory car chase and explosions and Duplicity is refreshingly clever and entertaining.
Kevin Murphy
