Duplicity (2009)

Director:

Tony Gilroy

Writer (WGA):

Tony Gilroy (written by)

Release Date:

20 March 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Outwit. Outspy. Outsmart. Outplay. Then get out.

Plot:

A pair of corporate spies who share a steamy past hook up to pull off the ultimate con job on their respective bosses.

Plot Keywords:

Con | Product | Dubai | Corporation | Spy

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Clive Owen	...	Ray Koval
Julia Roberts	...	Claire Stenwick
Tom Wilkinson	...	Howard Tully
Paul Giamatti	...	Richard Garsik
Dan Daily	...	Garsik's Aide
Lisa Roberts Gillan	...	Tully's Assistant (as Lisa Roberts Gillan)
David Shumbris	...	Turtleneck
Rick Worthy	...	Dale Raimes
Oleg Shtefanko	...	Boris Fetyov (as Oleg Stefan)
Denis O'Hare	...	Duke Monahan
Kathleen Chalfant	...	Pam Frailes
Khan Baykal	...	Dinesh Patel
Thomas McCarthy	...	Jeff Bauer (as Tom McCarthy)
Wayne Duvall	...	Ned Guston
Fabrizio Brienza	...	Hotel Manager

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

125 min | Turkey:118 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | Spanish | Russian | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45010) | Ireland:12A | Australia:PG | Finland:K-7 | South Korea:12 | UK:12A | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Hong Kong:IIA | Belgium:KT | Netherlands:6 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Argentina:13 | Mexico:B | Sweden:Btl | New Zealand:PG | Norway:A | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

Atlantis Casino, Paradise Island, Bahamas

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

This film reunites Clive Owen with two actors he's worked with in the past. Julia Roberts, who co-starred with Owen in Closer (2004/I), and Paul Giamatti from Shoot 'Em Up (2007).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the waiter serves Ray a glass of champagne (near the end), the foam disappears almost instantly, unlike in the glass the waiter has just served Claire, where the foam takes some time to disappear.

Quotes:

Ray Koval: [referring to the thong Claire found in his wardrobe] I've been loyal to you. The only woman who's been in this apartment is the landlady and she couldn't wear that thing as a wristband.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Mosters vs Aliens/The Haunting in Connecticut/12 Rounds (#1.5)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Soleares

Conned

I was lured to see this on the promise of a smart, witty slice of old fashioned fun and intrigue - I was conned. A knowing, pretentious, tedious, overlong story which suffocates under its own artifice. Starring Julia Roberts ( Claire Stenwick) ,and Clive Owen (Ray Koval), as "Duplicitous" spies, the film tries to recreate the glitter, froth and intrigue of roles made famous by the likes of Cary Grant in the 1950's, yet fails under leaden direction and total lack of chemistry between the leads.

Director "Michael Clayton" Tony Gilroy also has writing credits for The Bourne series, so his credentials are excellent. But Clive Owen seems ill at ease as a romantic, witty lead apparently yearning for the opportunity to play the more robust part he played in the under rated "International". Julia Roberts shines in one of her better performances, offering more than her obvious glamour but without the quality of script to enable her to truly excel. She seems barely bothered about enticing Owen into bed, and the word play between them consistently falls flat.

An extensive travelogue incorporating London, Rome, New York, Dubai and Geneva provides some scenic interest, as these erstwhile CIA and MI6 spies swap political espionage for industrial espionage turning into criminal espionage. At 126 minutes it is at least 35 minutes too long. Sharper editing, greater pace, and less "flab" might have made this a better picture. But we are left with it as it is, an instantly disposable, and forgettable addition to the respective parties film credits.