Review: Duplicity

Going to see Duplicity today, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. From the trailer I surmised that the movie was based on one of my all time favorite films: Ernst Lubitsch’s Trouble in Paradise. It had the two spies, two rivals fighting over the same goal, and even a girl in need of seducing. Damn trailer lied to me.

Trouble in Paradise might have been a germ in the seed of inspiration for Tony Gilroy, but the film is much more than that. It is a carefully crafted thriller, the comedy counterpart to his Michael Clayton. With a stellar cast and script, Gilroy comes up with the perfect follow up to his 2007 sleeper hit, keeping the audience guessing with twists and turns up until the very end.

It is difficult to describe Duplicity without giving too much away. Two former spies, Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) of the CIA and Ray Koval (Clive Owen) of M-6, are forced to work together in a counterintelligence scheme to dupe one corporation into revealing its plans to another. But these two apparently battling co-workers are actually teaming up to dupe both corporations and steal the mysterious product for themselves. But whom can you trust when you are working with a bunch of thieves?

For only an inexperienced director, Gilroy shows that he has learned plenty from his experience as a writer in Hollywood over the past two decades. In his second foray in both the director and screenwriter’s chair, Gilroy is able to pull off cinematic tricks that not even experienced directors succeed at all the time. Thanks in part to also writing the script, Gilroy is able to handle a disjointed timeline without having the audience get lost. He knows when to reveal information and when to hold out on us. As the director, Gilroy paces the film so that we are hungry for more but not too impatient. He also is playful in his choice of music (James Newton Howard), along with the sometimes-stylized cinematography (Robert Elswit) and the multiple screens editing (younger brother, John Gilroy).

Like I mentioned before, the script features a disjointed timeline. There are numerous flashbacks throughout the film, slowly revealing more about each of the character’s true intentions. But you have no idea what is truly going on until you see every last second of this film. The structure of any screenplay is a mammoth production even for the simplest movie and here Gilroy decided to climb the equivalent of Mount Kilimanjaro for a screenwriter. He conquers the beast, and how, taking the audience on a joyride.

Not only does Gilroy shine at twists and turns, but also in dialogue. The witty banter between Clive Owen and Julia Roberts is priceless. They can discuss ridiculous ideas (such as frozen pizza production) with the utmost seriousness; with them or us never knowing when one or the other is lying. Also, Gilroy uses dialogue as a plant, having numerous jokes pop up again for another payoff in a different light.

Bringing this dialogue to life is a wonderful cast of actors. From the leading players to the supporting cast, all play their roles to a “T”, without purposely trying to outshine one another. But one does outshine the others and that is THE Julia Roberts. It was a treat to see her comeback as a leading lady. Sexy and dangerous, Julia should play femme fatales much more often. Her comedic timing has been missed in Hollywood and her chemistry with Clive Owen was tangible. She’s even strong when she isn’t speaking and just the look on her face could be a whole array of emotions flashing by.

Paul Giammati was also a standout in the cast, as one of the rival businessmen, Richard Garsik. From his slow-motion, no dialogue introduction up until the credits are rolling, Giammati will have you laughing with his portrayal of a paranoid CEO on the verge of having a meltdown. His rival, Howard Tully, played by Tom Wilkinson, has a much more subtle role but is just as entertaining in its own way.

Duplicity is part Mr. and Mrs. Smith, some Trouble in Paradise, and a bit Ocean’s 11 but all Tony Gilroy. You could probably connect three other films similar to Duplicity, but none of them would count as an adaptation or re-envisioning. Trust me, even after reading this review, you have no idea what you are getting into.