DUPLICITY
Studio: Universal Year: 2009 Rated: PG-13 Film Length: 2 hours, 5 minutes Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2.40:1) Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish |
The Movie
(
½ out of )Duplicity is a romantic thriller directed by Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) and starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. Owen plays Ray Koval, a former MI-6 agent who is now a corporate spy for hire. Julia Roberts plays Claire Stenwick, a corporate spy with whom Koval repeatedly crosses paths on their various engagements. Ray and Claire become romantically involved but there is a distinct lack of trust in their relationship, given their professions and their competitive history. Ray and Claire eventually team up and collaborate on a big score at the expense of their corporate employers. Since they do not trust each other, who is playing whom? This question is gradually answered as their mission proceeds to completion in between flashbacks filling in the history of Ray’s relationship with Claire.
The story demands full attention or it may be difficult to follow as there is double-crossing and triple-crossing occurring between Ray, Claire, and their respective employers. Roberts and Owen starred together previously in Closer, and their screen chemistry is an asset to this film. Tom Wilkinson, who also appeared in Gilroy’s Michael Clayton, appears here as Howard Tully, a corporate CEO who is the apparent rival of Richard Garsik, played by Paul Giamatti. It is interesting to see Giamatti and Wilkinson share the screen again after their roles as John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, respectively, in HBO’s Emmy-award winning miniseries John Adams.
Video
( out of )
The movie is transferred to DVD in its original 2.35:1 screen aspect ratio. The colors are muted which appears to be a deliberate artistic choice by the director. Strangely, the actors’ faces have an extremely waxy appearance in certain scenes, particularly closeups, giving the impression of excessive DNR. There is a loss of fine detail in black areas and lack of dynamic range in the video.
Audio
( out of )
The English TrueHD 5.1 audio track makes fine use of music and ambient noise for sound effects. Dialogue tracks do not get overwhelmed by the ample use of rear speakers for music and traffic noises.
Special Features
( out of )
The special features are limited to the director’s commentary provided by Tony Gilroy and film editor John Gilroy.
Conclusion
( ½ out of )
Duplicity is an entertaining thriller with a hint of romance between Owen and Roberts. Unfortunately, this film may be too smart for its own good since most theatrical audiences found the storyline difficult to follow. Perhaps this film will find its audience on DVD where the viewer has the luxury of running the film backwards and forwards to explore the story elements. The twists and turns of Duplicity, and the chemistry of its stars, is its own reward for the viewer who makes the effort to follow its labyrinthine story.
