Duplicity is Tony Gilroy’s follow up to one of 2007’s best films, Michael Clayton. Tony Gilroy, once a renowned screenwriter is now one of the best directors working today. Duplicity is a slickly hilarious espionage caper. This is a film that demands attention, and if you happen to pay enough of it you will surely be awarded.
Clive Owen and Julia Roberts star as Ray Koval and Claire Stenwick. They were once spies for the government, and at the beginning of the movie we see them working on the corporate side of things. They both work for C.E.O.’s named Dick Garsik and Howard Tully, who are played by the always wonderful Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson. During the film we learn through numerous flashbacks that Julia Roberts and Clive Owen’s characters are actually conning both C.E.O.’s with a very complex plan to steal a secret product idea from one of them and reap the benefits.
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The story does sound very complex, and it is. Duplicity demands full concentration at all times. By going to the bathroom or even just looking at your watch, you will for sure miss something and will be at a total loss through the movie. That is also why I like Duplicity so much. It’s a movie that not just challenges its characters, but its viewers. The con we see unravel on screen mirrors the con Gilroy plays on us, as we though we had everything right about the story and its characters. This is a film full of twists and surprises. This will be a spoiler free review, as I just couldn’t forgive myself if I spoiled all the surprises the movie has to offer.
I don’t think Tony Gilroy is just one of the best screenwriters working today but one of the best directors. This is story telling at its finest. We learn new things in just about every scene. Not just about the story, but its characters. We never quite know who’s conning whom. Gilroy knows how to keep things on a low enough key to not give anything away too early on. The film is filled with numerous flashbacks that change everything we thought we knew. The characters Gilroy put on the screen here are all wildly intriguing. I may like Michael Clayton more, but I believe that this is a great follow up.
Its very pleasing to see Clive Owen in a role that allows him to have fun while also allowing him to play it cool like he usually does. Owen recently stared in the rather disappointing The International, while that was decent, it just didn’t allow him to perform at his fullest potential. This film does, and of course he ends up turning in a terrific performance. He’s consistently investable and charming. Julia Roberts has never been put in the best films and is never given the right roles, but here she is highly likable. Her character seems to be kind of cold at times while also sly, adding more mystery to the film. This film points out to why Julia Roberts is so liked, and why she is a movie star. Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson are also tremendous standouts, their characters intrigue you from the first moment you see them. Their presence here also happens to be my only gripe with the film. They are both fantastic, but the audience is left wanting more of them. Everyone in the film gives top-notch performances and are all a big reason of why this film is excellent.
Duplicity is a very funny and smart film, something that we don’t get too often. The film never takes itself too seriously, contributing to the fact that it doesn’t come across as preposterous. Some may call it confusing and boring, while I say it just demands attention.