Duplicity (2009)

Director:

Tony Gilroy

Writer (WGA):

Tony Gilroy (written by)

Release Date:

20 March 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | 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:

Dubai | Flashback | Corporation | Spy | Con

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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
Wayne Duvall	...	Ned Guston
Fabrizio Brienza	...	Hotel Manager

Also Known As:

Duplicity - Gemeinsame Geheimsache (Germany)

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 Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | 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)

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:

Errors in geography: In the beginning of the movie, the captioning says they are at the US Consulate in Dubai, but they are actually at the One & Only Ocean Club Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

Quotes:

Claire Stenwick: I found these in your closet.
Ray Koval: I swear to you I have no idea who they belong to.
Claire Stenwick: Well in that case I'll put them back on.
Ray Koval: You're gaming me?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Duplicity/Knowing/I Love You, Man (#1.4)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Dance Hall Days

enjoyable yet confounding

As with any spy film, a certain amount of complexity in the script is to be expected. However this spy film adds on plot twists, flash backs, back stabbing and double agents with so much frequency that it left me scratching my head by its end. As an on screen team Julia Roberts and Clive Owen work well together but even their performances were drowned out by the sheer complexity of the script. There are also welcome surprises from the supporting cast, each of whom seemed to have their fair share of witty dialogue. Ultimately the movie is less about a romance between rival spies, and is more about keeping its audience wondering just how the plot can twist next. As the final credits role one looming question remains: "What happened here?" even complex spy thrillers such as "Mission Impossible" had some kind of wrap up at its end that cleared up any lingering doubt or questions and we were happier for it. 'Duplicity' is a fun little spy film, with some fine performances by Roberts and Owen and plenty of well written dialogue, but it is brought down by the overly complex plot and I fear will leave even fans of the genre feeling slightly numb when the credits role.