Duplicity – Gemeinsame Geheimsache (2009)

Duplicity – Gemeinsame Geheimsache: Directed by Tony Gilroy. With Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti. Two ex-government agents turned rival industrial spies have to be at the top of their game when one of their companies prepares to launch a major product. However, they distract each other in more ways than one.

“Iu0026#39;m not quite sure why this film got so-so reviews in the UK but it wasnu0026#39;t offering me a great deal to check it out and it was only the lack of alternatives that saw us going to see it. Perhaps it was my low expectations but what I found was a perfectly fine slick little caper film that, while not perfect, had enough slickness and pace to make for an entertaining couple of hours. Essentially we have seen it before, the smooth music, the cool cinematography, the stars in lead roles, the many twists and turns on the way to a reveal that makes for the conclusion of the film. It is nothing new and, in light of the Oceans films doing the same thing, it could almost be called a bit tired.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt does work though and writer/director Gilroy keeps it moving along well even if he is too close to his own material to be able to identify the problems within it. The basic plot is all well and good but the structure weakens it a bit. The multiple jumps back in time are supposed to inform us and/or add to the mystery but unfortunately they actually mostly serve to break-up the flow. It is not complex but the time shifting makes it feel more complicated than it actually is and makes it harder to follow because it breaks up the slick flow that the majority of it has. This is a shame because otherwise the film works well and it is only really the failure to pull off the structure that takes the shine off it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnd it is a u0026quot;shineu0026quot; because this is a film that has been polished in most regards. In itself it is what it appears to be – a glossy thriller with many little twists attempting to keep you from guessing the final reveal. It doesnu0026#39;t quite manage this as the ending is perhaps a little foreseeable after a certain point but mostly the sheen on it makes it flow. The direction is mostly very good with clever shots and fine delivery and editing to pull it together – in this type of thing that is much more than half the battle because sometimes that can be enough to fool viewers into buying the style when the substance stinks. That is not the case here as the substance is pretty good and the cast add the journey. Roberts didnu0026#39;t really convince me as she hasnu0026#39;t for a while (maybe she never did) but she is a Hollywood star through and through and she brings class to the film. Owen brings the rising star but, more importantly, the rugged charm that he does so effortlessly. Having Wilkinson and Giamatti only adds to the feeling of a quality product along with several good turns in smaller roles.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDuplicity is not a brilliant film but it is a good one within the context of the genre. The structure limits the slick appeal that it could have had and makes it a little less fun that it could have been but mostly all the packaging is in place and it does what you expect it to do as a genre film. Nothing to shout about from the rooftop by any means but for a Friday or Saturday night it delivers the sort of gloss that one goes to see these movies for and you gotta give it some credit for that in a period where so many star-led blockbusters fail to even do that.”