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Duplicity**1/2
*ing: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen,
Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson
Directed by: Tony Gilroy
Tagline: Outwit. Outspy. Outsmart.
Outplay. Then get out.
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Duplicity
was meant to mark the return of Julia Roberts to the big screen
- the woman who could have single-handedly guaranteed a hit film
through the '90s, whether it was rom-coms like Pretty Woman, My
Best Friend's Wedding or Notting Hill or thrillers like Conspiracy
Theory and The Pelican Brief. But after her Oscar winning role in
Erin Brokovich and the few-and-far in between films like Closer
(2004), the actress took a five year break as she raised her kids
et al.
With Duplicity however, one doesn't feel that this could be Roberts'
comeback vehicle. And that isn't because of her acting skills. For
one, it feels strange to see her rehash a role that has already
been done to death: that of a corporate spy embroiled in a do-or-die
situation with a complicated love angle. That is basically the premise
of Duplicity: Clive Owen and Julia Roberts play two corporate spies,
working to discover what groundbreaking product it is that Burkett
and Randle (the company Roberts 'works' in) is set to launch. Burkett
and Randle's competitor - Equikrom - desperately seeks the information.
The corporate bosses - played by Giamatti (Equikrom) and Wilkinson
(Burkett and Randle) are eccentric characters, often seeming like
a parody of extremely competitive CEOs who have read Atlas Shrugged
one too many times. As they come to blows on an airport tarmac,
or stare out to the city from their top-floor offices or at the
spying machinery that Equikrom has, they seem like an apt characterization
of the corporate machine.
But the real focal point of the film is the relationship between
Owen and Roberts. The two share a past of sorts, and when they discover
that they have to work together, it makes for great chemistry and
animosity as well. And their love angle is what keeps the film entertaining
and why despite an atrocious camera print and a recycled plotline,
I didn't chuck the DVD out. Roberts has this aura in the film -
the cool, untouchable, invincible persona - and that seems to draw
Owen closer to her as the film skips months and locations. However,
as with every sleuth film, one wonders why a love angle needs to
be brought in. It's a plot line that has been recycled over and
over again, and while there are some great films that manage to
retain both the thrill and the romance (Mr and Mrs Smith being an
example) together, in Duplicity it is distracting. |
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And
as their spying continues, Owen and Roberts hatch a plan to outsmart
Equikrom and steal the idea for the product Burkett and Randle is
launching to sell to a third party. But as with any good spy, the
two cannot trust each other and are continuously trying to outsmart
the other. This drama of hidden agendas, barbs and witty dialogue
make this film worth watching.
Duplicity has been directed and written by Tony Gilroy, the man
who made the brilliant 2007 film Michael Clayton starring George
Clooney, and was also the screenwriter for the Bourne series of
films. And the technical aspects of the film keep it snappy: the
shifting locations (Dubai, London, Rome), the four frames concept
and sharp editing keep one hooked onto Duplicity.
While the film may not be the best corporate spy tale ever, or one
of the milestones of Roberts' long film career, it is definitely
worth a watch for anyone who is a fan of either Owens or Roberts.
After all, it may be rehashed to the core, but everyone loves a
good spy story!
– Saba Imtiaz
*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME
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