CIA officer Claire Stenwick and MI6 agent Ray Koval have left the world of government intelligence to cash in on the highly profitable cold war raging between two rival multinational corporations. Their mission? Secure the formula for a product that will bring a fortune to the company that patents it first. For their employers--industry titan Howard Tully and buccaneer CEO Dick Garsik--nothing is out of bounds. But as the stakes rise, the mystery deepens and the tactics get dirtier, the trickiest secret for Claire and Ray is their growing attraction. And as they each try to stay one double-cross ahead, two career loners find their schemes endangered by the only thing they can’t cheat: their way out of: love.

Duplicity is one of those smart fast talking witty movies of yesteryear powered by super stars throwing verbal barbs at each other. Ala films like The Thin Man, Front Page and His Girl Friday the film take a page from the 1930’s and 1940’s when dialogue was key and when movie stars were bigger than life. You could easily see this film played out in that era with stars like Cary Grant or Katherine Hepburn and it was quite a refreshing break from all the special effects and action that Hollywood throws at you now days. A film where the characters are key, their interactions sell the movie and where there quick witted dialogue drew you in and made you care for their characters. Claire and Ray love each other and they hate each other at the same time. They test each other with a brutality hoping to be wrong but still unable to keep themselves from throwing each other under the bus. It makes for a good film that entertains you.

I like Tony Gilroy as a director and I have to wonder if he too is a fan of the fast talking dramas of the 1930’s and 1940’s. He gave us a similar feel and look in 2007 with Michael Clayton and while Duplicity isn’t as good it is still a very well put together and written movie. There is not a lot of action so Gilroy uses flashbacks and foreign settings to add a little zest to the film. The flashbacks are meant to throw you off a little bit as the film has several twists that will make you laugh and gasp a bit. The final twist is very fitting and does embark of a different era not a modern Hollywood era where everything has to end happily ever after. I am reminded of the original ending from Ocean’s 11 and how they felt they needed to change it for the remake, Gilroy doesn’t make that mistake and instead stays with the move authentic and fitting ending.

The story for Duplicity is also quite good as it deals with double lives and telling lies very well. For two characters who whole careers and lives have been built on how well they can lie and deceive they truly find it hard to trust anyone and that is the beauty of the film. Because they are such liars and so duplicitous they are a match made in heaven but they can never get past their duplicitous natures to ever really trust that truth. So instead they plot and they scheme and they slowly destroy each other all the while wishing they didn’t have to and that the other wasn’t doing the same. It makes for a fascinating study of human nature and completely sells the movie.

I am not a big fan of Julia Roberts but she was perfect for this role. She is one of the few actresses in Hollywood that has that yesteryear star quality and that was what her role was a blast from the past and she pulls it off with perfection. Clive Owen on the other hand is one of my favorite actors in Hollywood and he also lights up the screen with that yesteryear glamour. Clive and Julia feed off each other and raise each other up like actors used to. They make each other better and they make the film better by being in it. Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti also put in good performances of warring CEO’s that always want to go for the throat. The film was fun and entertaining and very light popcorn fodder.

Grade: B