Duplicity (2009)

If there is such a thing like a film to smart to enjoy 'Duplicity' written and directed by Tony Gilroy would certainly qualify. It is not that scriptwriter Gilroy misses smart stories in his CV - he wrote the 'Bourne' series (based on Robert Ludlum's novels), 'Proof of Life' and 'Devil's Advocate'each of them smart. The problem with Duplicity is that he did not find a better director than Tony Gilroy to direct a script which has many surprises, hidden angles, flashbacks and twists but too few of them are being turn into moments of good cinema suspense or emotions.Duplicity is the story of two ex-spies (one CIA - Julia Roberts, one MI-6 Clive Owen) who go private and plan a big scam by getting hired by two competing moguls in the shampoo industry. In a world where eavesdropping is the rule, where nobody trusts anybody, where every word hides a lie which hides an even bigger lie being a couple of spies and lovers means first of all trusting each other? Is trust possible? this is the permanent question and the answer is so many times no that when time comes to answer yes the answer is simply not credible.The two lead actors create chemistry and they cannot act bad, but chemistry and good acting is not enough, especially as both Roberts and Owen look or are made to look in this film a little bit beyond the peaks of their respective sex-appeals. This may be intentional, as even sexy spies start getting old at some point, and this is a credible situation of life, but simply does not fit the profile of an action movie. On the other side the twists and layers and flashbacks in time are so many and so often that at some point in time I lost interest in watching the action, and believe me, this seldom happens to me in an action movie. Duplicity simply tries to hard to be smart, and the style of director Gilroy does not make justice to the scriptwriter Gilroy.

I never thought i will write my first review for such a disappointing movie. Slated as a con movie this movie cons its viewers in the end. For those who want to watch a Con Movie, this is my sincere request ...please DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME on this piece of nonsense. You can imagine that after rating almost 300 movies for this site i am writing my first review just to avoid people from further wasting their time in high hopes and getting nothing. And Flashbacks which were employed to add spice to the movie were in fact a great torture too...Moreover, the trepid and intransigent plot of the movie inundated with flashbacks invoked me to inveigh and to launch an invective but whatever i am writing here is just an iota of the degree how i felt about this movie

It certainly looks very promising: A romantic spy thriller starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. What could there be not to like? Or so I thought. The movie, however, disappointed me all the way, or at least as far as I got. After 85 minutes I finally called it quits, as I couldn't face another 40 minutes of confusion, lack of plot and flashbacks by the bucket load. And the only regret I have is that I didn't stop sooner and used my time for something better. I found it hard to figure out what the storyline actually was, and the only conclusion I have come to is that there isn't one. I do like Clive Owen, and he's probably the only reason I watched thus far - him and the hope that it would actually get interesting at some point. OK, a few funny pieces of dialog along the way, but other than that, I could see nothing interesting about this movie, let alone thrilling.

I just recently viewed the movie Duplicity with Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. Having saw there performance in "Closer" and noting what great chemistry these two have, I knew I would eventually watch this film.I am a sucker for a good thriller. And, if u like thrillers, this movie has it all. There are so many twists, and deals, and double crossings, you almost have to take a dramamine to get through it. It does get a little wonkish and complex during the middle. However, if u hang in there until the end, you will not be disappointed. If you are looking for a simplistic action flick with a lot of explosions and very little plot, this movie is not for you. However, if u are looking for a sleek, sophisticated thrill ride of a movie, this one is for you. This is an excellent movie.