Search Movie Review Archives

Alex Rose and Nancy Kendricks believe they've found the home of their dreams. It turns out that they've entered a surreal comedic nightmare more vivid than a Dali painting. It seems the petty, slightly demented upstairs neighbor (Eileen Essell) is the Devil in disguise as a little old lady. Her demands and annoying behavior lead this happy-go-lucky couple to consider helping Mrs. Connelly vacate the premises and the planet permanently. ***

Everyone has had a neighbor from hell. Which makes "Duplex" a bit more universal than most comedies of this sort. Callling this a comedy stretches the imagination as Larry Doyle's screenplay continually misses the mark. I'm surprised given that director Danny Devito was at the helm of the film but with co-stars and co-producers Stiller and Barrymore "fixing" the film with last minute re-shoots and re-editing, "Duplex" was compromised from the start. Stiller does a variation on the characters he's played in "There's Something About Mary" and "Meet The Parents" and, sadly, his manic energy and comic inventiveness can't overcome the end result. Barrymore gives a sweet comic performance that, again, revitalizes some of the scenes she plays with Stiller. It's just not enough. The film has its moments and wouldn't be a bad rental on a rainy afternoon when you're sick in bed. You can even nod off between scenes and not miss much. The best scenes were, honestly, in the trailer.