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“Duplicity” really could have been something were it
not so convoluted. In a lot of ways, it’s the perfect vehicle
for Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, who play off each other
so well in scenes that at times seem romantic while at other
times seem devious. As government spies who (a) always have
something to hide and (b) are falling in love, they have
wonderful onscreen chemistry. ***
What’s missing is an understandable story that fully
supports their chemistry. The film is needlessly complex,
bombarding the audience with a series of twists and turns
that ultimately do more to undermine the credibility of
the plot. This is problematic because the theme is that
of trust, and there isn’t a single trustworthy character.
How can the filmmakers expect the audience to trust the
story if the characters can’t even be trusted? ***
Roberts and Owen play Claire and Ray, the former a
CIA agent and the latter an M16. They meet in Dubai on July
4, 2003, where they’re on assignment. After some witty small
talk, they retreat to a hotel room and end up sleeping together.
Ray awakens the next morning to discover that the secret
plans he had been carrying have been stolen. I no longer
remember what the plans were for, and frankly, I don’t think
it matters a great deal; this movie is more focused on pitting
these characters against each other while at the same time
drawing them closer together. ***
We gather this mostly from a series of flashbacks,
all of which show them in that excruciating gray area between
blooming love and deep-seeded suspicion. It’s interesting
to see them playing off one another, trying to figure out
who’s thinking what and why. ***
Through a series of very complicated circumstances,
they become involved in a rivalry between two consumer product
corporations. In one corner: Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson),
the CEO of Burkett & Randle, a pharmaceutical company. Claire
now works for them as a counter intelligence officer. In
the other corner: Dick Garsik (Paul Giamatti), the CEO of
Equikrom, another pharmaceutical company. Ray has been hired
by them as they company spy. ***
I could describe the plot that unfolds, but since the
nature of this film is to deceive, it’s a moot point. Let
it suffice to say that just about nothing is as it appears
to be, and everyone has a trick or two up their sleeve.
The only thing I will say is that the relationship between
Claire and Ray continues to develop, although they still
have some major trust issues to work through. ***
To be sure, the performances are good all around. Roberts
and Owen were believable in their roles, despite the twists
and turns of the story. They run the gamut from charming
and attractive to manipulative and cunning, and while it
doesn’t necessarily save the film from its overactive plot,
it does make for much more interesting characters. ***
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