Directed by Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) and starring Julia Roberts (Charlie Wilson’s War) and Clive Owen (Children of Men), Duplicity is a twisty, convoluted spy caper that mixes genres with only moderate success. The story revolves around two corporate spies, Ray Koval and Claire Stenwick. When the pair first meet in the film’s opening sequence, which occurs five years prior to the central story, they are both government agents, with Koval working for MI6 and Stenwick working for the CIA. They meet at a cocktail party at the US consulate in Dubai. Koval doesn’t know Stenwick’s a CIA agent though—a CIA agent who is, in fact, assigned to steal the briefcase full of Egyptian Air Defense codes he has stored back in his hotel room. Following a sexual romp, she drugs him and steals the codes, completing her assignment and disappearing.
Five years later, seemingly by coincidence, they both work for Equikrom, a mega-diversified, mega-powerful multinational conglomerate; she’s an assistant director of counterintelligence, a corporate spy who’s worked her way into the inner security circles of Burkett & Randle, Equikrom’s main competitor; he’s a handler, a go between who manages field agents and channels information between spy and company. Stenwick, as it happens, is his latest assignment. On her first drop, she delivers a secret speech that’s soon to be presented by Burkett & Randle CEO Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson).
Dick Garsik (Paul Giamatti), CEO of Equikrom, receives that speech with deep apprehension; although lacking in specifics, the speech hints at some revolutionary product soon to be released by Burkett & Randle. Garsik decides it imperative to know what that product is and assigns his security team to finding answers. Further upping the stakes: Burkett & Randle and Equikrom aren’t merely corporate rivals; their respective CEOs despise each other, intensifying commercial competition to a personal level.
Shortly after Tully delivers his speech, the film again backtracks, this time shifting to two years before the central story to Rome, where we learn that the relationship between Koval and Stenwick isn’t quite what it appears to be. Ultimately, although the pair doesn’t completely trust each other, neither is actually working for the good of Equikrom, but rather for personal profit. As the film unfolds, winding its way through a series of twists and double crosses, it becomes less and less clear who’s playing who. Not until the end, can the audience clearly differentiate the con-artists from the marks.
On one level, Duplicity is too clever for its own good; it’s complicated and, at times, confusing, employing flashbacks that both detract and distract from the overall impact. On the other hand, one can easily imagine the high-stakes corporate world functioning in the ways depicted; that fact makes Duplicity sporadically intriguing. The performances further elevate the film past its more muddled elements. Giamatti and Wilkinson are both compelling and believable as the CEOs of their respective companies; there’s an early scene where the two characters confront each other on an airport tarmac that amusingly sets the tone of their relationship. The supporting players are equally good.
Duplicity’s main appeal, however, lies in the relationship between Roberts and Owen. While their chemistry isn’t spectacular, it’s fun to watch the pair struggle for the upper hand and work to one-up each other. Are they true partners, really in love and working toward a common goal or are they simply gaming each other? And who will ultimately win the battle of CEOs? Which corporation will come out on top?
Duplicity is a good film that could’ve been better had it employed less subterfuge. It’s well written if somewhat muddled; it’s also well acted and decently paced. It’s certainly worth the rental price, but be warned: Duplicity may necessitate multiple viewings.
Score 6/10
Starring: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti, Dan Dailey, Lisa Roberts Gillan, David Shumbris, Rick Worthy, Denis O'Hare, Tom McCarthy
Directed by: Tony Gilroy
Released by: Universal Pictures
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