I’m really not at all sure what I think about Duplicity, the new film from writer-director Tony Gilroy starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. It’s one of those twisty films that keeps you on your toes as it jumps back and forward in time to tell a story of industrial epsionage. Indeed one suspects that Gilroy may have been quite envious when he saw the TV series Damages, as that’s what it most reminds me of in form.
Roberts is ex-CIA and Owen ex-MI6, who first meet on missions for their respective intelligence agencies in Dubai. But Roberts drugs Owen and makes off with something or other.
Flash forward and Owen is now working in corporate counter-espionage. There are two big corporations who may as well be P&G and Lever – except they’re not. It slowly becomes clear that Roberts, who works in counter intelligence of one company is a double agent for the counter-intelligence division of the other company. She is being “run” by Owen’s character.
There’s a new product launch imminent, and amongst enormous secrecy, all are desperate to discover what this game-changing product is going to be.
Throughout the film, you’re never too sure who to trust. This is an old-school Cold War spy film updated to become corporate US. Roberts and Owen never trust one another either despite having an ongoing relationship. Of sorts.
It’s certainly a good film, but somehow, it’s not quite as good as it might be. It’s intelligent, and demands that the audience pays attention. If you don’t you might lose the thread (sadly I think that’s what happened with some of the premiere audience that I saw this with – they were unduly restless).
The performances are strong, but in the end, I don’t think it’s quite as good as it might be.