The dirty corporate underworld has never looked as sexy as in Duplicity, staring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts.
The film has all the makings of a spy thriller: a talented cast, a complex plot, exotic locations and a "whodunit" script that constantly alters who did what and when. Unlike most spy thrillers, no one carries a gun or breaks someone's head open. It's a bloodless version of James Bond.
The plot, too complicated to explain in a mere paragraph, involves two former spies who try to pull off the ultimate get-rich-quick scheme through engineered corporate speculation. Ray (Owen, The International) and Claire (Roberts, Fireflies in the Garden) are former government operatives and current lovers, determined to make enough money to take a permanent vacation.
When word comes out that a new, mysterious product could change the face of the market, two corporations eagerly try to seek it out. Ray and Claire work for opposing companies, but are in cahoots with each other to steal the product and sell it to the highest bidder.
Their love affair complicates an already sticky situation, and it is up to them to decide just how much they can trust each other without spoiling their lofty plan.
It's always fun to watch two powerful actors of the opposite sex duke it out, and Owen and Roberts do just that. Their dialogue - witty and lightning quick - is as overwhelming as it is flirty and enjoyable.
As spies always looking over their shoulders, Owen and Roberts deals with constant doubts and double-crossings. The two masterfully deal with their passion for one another with the upmost professionalism. The tension that creates the constant doubting and outsmarting is cinematic gold.
The film in some ways invokes Mr. & Mrs. Smith, most notably during the love/hate argument scenes between Owen and Roberts. However, Duplicity is different in that it shows the couple's problems in an earnest manner and not as mere caricature. Following the success of his George Clooney-led legal thriller Michael Clayton, director Tony Gilroy tries to turn the spy genre upside down. It is easy to see that the men and women who spend their lives in skyscraper offices in pursuit of the almighty dollar fascinate Gilroy.
The film focuses on the often-neglected world of corporate espionage. It's nearly impossible to tell if he's embellishing this occupation - partly because he does it so well.
The acting is good all around. Owen takes a break from busting skulls as a rogue hero or agent to play a guy with a little more reserve and a lot more jokes.
Roberts is especially impressive, reviving the talent and sex appeal that made her famous in the first place. Paul Giamatti (Cold Souls) does a good job portraying an ambitious corporate executive and his rival, played by Tom Wilkinson (Valkyrie), is no less idiosyncratic (just watch how he treats his plants).
Duplicity examines a lot of things: the relationship between work and love, the proper role of corporate spying and the complexity of any business scheme. But most of all it challenges the notion that the audience will accept everything, working hard to do as much. After all, with a title like Duplicity, getting duped is just another day at the office.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
