Duplicity
Trust Fun: Duplicity finds slick romantic comedy in the shaky search for a partner.
By Scott Renshaw @scottrenshaw
A cinematic caper is a soufflé. If you handle it carefully, you end up with a fluffy delight (see Ocean’s Eleven); if not, you end up with a big inedible lump (see Ocean’s Twelve).
There’s also a bit of stage magic to the enterprise, in the sense that as an audience member you’re waiting—expecting, actually—to be fooled. The con is part of the fun, but Tony Gilroy’s Duplicity takes it a step farther. He’s interested in the psychology of people who live convinced that no one can be trusted.
He does so with a dynamic, backtracking narrative that begins in 2003, with a first meeting at the American consulate in Dubai between Ray (Clive Owen) and Claire (Julia Roberts). It’s chemistry at first sight, except that they’re both spies—Ray for Britain’s MI6, Claire for the CIA—and that first meeting ends both in bed, and with some sensitive intelligence compromised.
Flash forward five years, and both Ray and Claire have segued into the field of corporate espionage. Two CEOs (Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti) of rival personal-hygiene companies have become bitter enemies—conveyed in a brilliant opening credits sequence—and Ray and Claire become part of their battle over a breakthrough product discovery. But whose side are they on? And are they actually on the same side? Gilroy’s Michael Clayton already established that he was a writer with some chops as a visual filmmaker, but he takes his game to a new level here. With crisp, unapologetic pacing, he whips through flashbacks and double-crosses in a way that actually demands attention. He’s written a smart, funny story, and he expects you to earn its payoffs.
And those payoffs involve more than superficial entertainment. Duplicity finds slick romantic comedy in the shaky search for a partner you can trust only through a leap of faith. The final “big reveal” isn’t just a kicker; it’s a reminder that in a heartless world, you hope for at least one person you know is on your side.
DUPLICITY ***.5 Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti. Rated PG-13
Speaking of...
-
Silver Fork Lodge
Comfort food in Brighton
- Jul 29, 2011
-
Everest Nuage Tibetan Restaurant
Tibetan food meets teppanyaki in downtown Salt Lake City.
- Mar 14, 2011
-
Letters to Juliet
True Love: Letters to Juliet is more than a sunny, romantic travelogue.
- May 12, 2010
- More »
More by Scott Renshaw
-
Film Reviews: New Releases for April 19
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Abigail, The Beast, Hard Miles, Sasquatch Sunset and more
- Apr 19, 2024
-
Faces of Salt Lake County book and portrait reception
Images and personal stories in a new book reveal local demographic diversity
- Apr 17, 2024
-
Feature film review: THE BEAST
A filmmaker's compelling ideas get a bit tangled in references to his creative influences.
- Apr 17, 2024
- More »
Latest in Film Reviews
Readers also liked…
-
Power Plays
Two satirical comedies explore manipulations and self-delusions by those with power.
- Aug 31, 2022
