Duplicity

My first 2009 film seen to date is Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton)'s comic thriller Duplicity, a fun, breezy Hitchcock-lite thriller that makes for an entertaining and fun two hours. It's not a brilliant masterpiece, but it certainly achieves what it sets out to do.

Ray Koval (Clive Owen) is an MI6 operative who gets screwed over (literally) by CIA operative Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) during a tryst in Dubai in 2003. A few years later, both are working as intelligence operatives for a cosmetics megacorporation led by Dick Garsik (Paul Giamatti), who desperately wants to find out what secret product arch-competitor Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson) has up his sleeve. However, their involvement is itself a scheme, as the twosome are planning to swindle the companies out of $40 million. The two never know if they can trust their bosses, those around them, or even each other as the plot slowly unravels.

If Gilroy's Oscar-nominated Michael Clayton was a servicable "intelligent" thriller, then Duplicity is a more-than-servicable light thriller. In tone and construction it's basically Stanley Donen's Charade to Hitchcock's North by Northwest when compared to the previous film, with similar tales of international (or corporate) espionage gone more than a bit awry. Duplicity gets by mostly on the strength of its script (also by Gilroy) and its two leads, and its sense of humor.

Gilroy again goes full-bore after mega-corporations, but this time in a lighter way than before. It may seem a long shot that the competitive markets of soap and frozen pizza would provide for an interesting film plot, but Gilroy manages to pull it off. Regardless of the product, high-stakes competition are always dead serious - especially when the two competitors hate each other so much (as evidenced by their violent confrontation during the opening credits, arguably the film's best individual sequence). Although the movie lacks the violence and dead-serious tone of Michael Clayton much of the scheming is the same, with spies always double-crossing each other, and absolutely nothing is off-limits. The film skillfully balances humor and tension throughout, making it entertaining if not completely compelling.

If the movie is making any sort of point (besides saying that corporations are evil) it shows the level to which deceit occupies people's day-to-day lives. It's easy to point out a spy or corporate operative doing it, but in essence (according to this movie, anyway) these liars are the only ones honest about it. This isn't exactly an original point or idea, and the movie goes a bit overboard by giving each character a lengthy "I love you THIS much!" monologue towards the end (in the same scene!), but it does create a shade of depth and helps us care about our characters. Both Ray and Claire are believable characters, with romantic chemistry and genuine sympathy generated. The film particularly has a great ending which (without revealing too much) leaves our protagonists in an unexpected Limbo.

It follows then that the film succeeds primarily because of its leads. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen are both wonderful leads, with near-perfect chemistry and delivery; they make quite a couple. The smart script is witty and well-constructed if occasionally hard to follow, the direction good if unremarkable. The supporting cast is adequate, but largely under-utilized; only Paul Giamatti as the manic CEO and Carrie Preston's ditzy transportation girl make any real impression.

All in all, Duplicity is an enjoyable watch and comes recommended as two hours of fun. I'm a bit doubtful it would turn out to be any more than that on a repeat viewing - but it's fun while it lasts.

Rating: 7/10 - Recommended