Review of Duplicity (2009) by Melissa M — 22 Apr 2010

Two former spies find themselves working for rival multi-national pharmaceutical corporations and the two set about joining forces to steal the secret of a revolutionary new product. I was a big fan of Gilroy's previous film Michael Clayton, and although it's probably fairer to judge this on its own merit rather than comparing the two, I'm going to do it anyway.

So sue me. I like Clive Owen, but I think it's fair to say that he doesn't have the range of Clooney and as for the comparison between between Tilda Swinton and Skeletor Roberts, well there isn't one.

It treads the same ground as Clayton, but whereas when the credits rolled for that film I felt like I'd seen something thought provoking and insightful, here I just had an overwhelming sense of "so what?" The obligatory jazz soundtrack and retro cut ins were all in effect but somehow it isn't quite the same when the "big score" is shampoo.

An inoffensive way to spend a couple of hours, but in the end it's a bit difficult to care; especially since the final "twist" is so glaringly obvious. Essentially its as if Gilroy took the body of Michael Clayton, scooped out all the guts and brains and replaced them with candy floss.