Julia Roberts is an ex-CIA agent and Clive Owen is an ex-MI6 agent who together hatch a plot to make millions by playing both sides of a huge corporate espionage battle between two rival pharmeceutical companies. The only problem is, they can never seem to trust each other either...Duplicity is the second film from writer-director Tony Gilroy, following on from his Oscar-nominated Michael Clayton. Whereas Clayton was a dark, sombre film, this is almost the complete opposite, a light-hearted comedy thriller that zips along at a nice pace while retaining much of the visual style of Gilroy's first film. It is however, perhaps a bit too lightweight and ultimately just a bit silly. Overall though it is a refreshing change and it's nice to see the director branching out early on in his career.
I was certainly entertained throughout and there's more than a few laughs to be had here. Throw in small supporting roles from Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti in scenery-chewing mode as the two opposing CEOs and you have a recipe for a good old-fashioned bit of fun. As you would expect from a film involving ex-spies, industrial espionage and con jobs, there are twists and turns applenty, but I will admit that the ending of the film was genuinely unexpected and well executed, for which I must commend it.
VERDICT: Good fun. Don't expect anything more.
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