It's no "Michael Clayton" (2007), but it would be unfair to write off director Tony Gilroy's second effort as suffering from the proverbial sophomore slump. Sure, it won't be nominated for six Academy Awards or get him a nod for Best Director. In fact, it probably won't be nominated for anything. Thankfully, "Duplicity" never tries to be an award-winner.
Instead, the film strikes a fairly effective balance between wit and intrigue, succeeding a good bit more in the former than the latter. When it comes down to it, "Duplicity" lives and dies by its stars. While they're on screen, sparks fly. And when they're not, viewers have to look to their popcorn for entertainment. As long as the film's focus stays on the characters and doesn't get bogged down in the intricacies of the plot, it's admirable, interesting and, most importantly, enjoyable.
"Duplicity" follows the exploits of two cunning corporate spies, played by Clive Owen and Julia Roberts, with something of a past history. As the film snakes its way through various twists and turns, the couple, already entangled within the complexities of its own relationship, gets caught up in the ploys of two rival CEOs (Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson). The storyline is hardly the reason for this film's existence; the back-and-forth between Roberts and Owen is the main reason the movie seems to have been created and is arguably, the film's only attraction.
For Owen, fresh from a disappointingly mediocre performance in "The International" (2009), "Duplicity" is certainly a step up. If anything, it's a bit of a return to form, and proof that he has the charisma to carry off the roguish persona in which he's cast. Roberts, however, seems a bit more restrained. Her role here certainly doesn't grant her the character and presence she had in "Charlie Wilson's War" (2007), but she's clearly on her game, and plays well off Owen's character.
Tom Wilkinson, however, is criminally underused, and appears in only a handful of scenes. Gilroy should know better than anyone what a talented actor Wilkinson is; his brief appearance in "Michael Clayton" was phenomenal. His was by far the film's most memorable character, despite Tilda Swinton's win for Best Supporting Actress. Unfortunately, even the scenes in "Duplicity" in which Wilkinson appears don't showcase his strengths, making his presence here nothing more than unrealized potential.
What Gilroy does carry through quite successfully, however, are the witty, sharply-written exchanges between Roberts and Owen. From the opening scene, he establishes an entertaining dynamic between the two, one that makes for some excellent exchanges early on and more than a few fantastic one-liners. The trouble is that the best of these moments are in the film's first half, making its later half a bit of a letdown, especially after showing such promise early on.
The plot, too, sets itself up for a share of intriguing possibilities but never quite makes good on them. For all its changes in direction and attempts at suspense, it never goes anywhere unexpected or does anything that hasn't been done before. Even its significant twists in the latter half never manage to create any real surprises and instead end up feeling obligatory. So, while serviceable, it's hardly a storyline that will make any sort of lasting impression.
The same criticisms reflect "Duplicity" as a whole. It's a film that won't really go down as much more than a footnote in the careers of those involved, a solid filmmaking effort that, overall, neither impresses nor disappoints. It's an experience that's simultaneously satisfying and forgettable, with a plot that never manages to be quite engaging enough, and performances that, while entertaining, just aren't impressive enough to get noticed during the quiet months leading up to the summer blockbusters.
