A cinematic lark that's leaden where it should be light ... suffers from lukewarm chemistry between Roberts and Owen.
Comment
03/19/09
Duplicity (2009)
65
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:166
Fresh:108
Rotten:58
Average Rating:6.3/10
Consensus: Duplicity is well-crafted, smart, and often funny, but it’s mostly more cerebral than visceral and features far too many plot twists.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Mar 19, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $40,559,930
Synopsis: DUPLICITY is a slick, Soderberghian comic caper in which it’s never exactly clear who is being conned. It’s easy to see that ex-CIA agent Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) and former MI6 member Ray... [More]
Starring: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti
Director: Tony Gilroy
Reviews for Duplicity
101 - 120 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
"Duplicity" is a blast from beginning to end and one of the snappiest films of its type to come along in a while.
03/19/09
a dashing and bright entertainment that aims to please without scraping the floor for your approval
03/19/09
However you describe it, Duplicity is superior entertainment, the most elegantly pleasurable movie of its kind to come around in a very long time.
03/19/09
Top CriticWatching Duplicity brings pleasures all too rare: gorgeous actors speaking smart, funny dialogue in beautiful settings.
03/19/09
A timely, brisk, and witty combination love story and drama about corporate malfeasance.
03/19/09
Duplicity is betrayed by a surfeit of intricacy. Its ironic complexities tease the brain without pleasing the heart.
03/19/09
Top Critic...one of the first truly adult romantic comedies to come down the pike in quite some time. "Duplicity" has been heaped with praise, which may raise expectations unfairly, though.
03/19/09
A sharp, twisty, and very stylish thriller, this time with romance and a bit of stardust. The result is a top-notch date movie for grown-ups.
03/19/09
Gilroy and his stars make it elegant fun to be fooled, but they sure as hell make you work for it.
03/19/09
Everything in Duplicity may be a scam, but [director] Gilroy's talent is the real thing.
03/19/09
Top CriticThere's a lot of doubling going on in the smart, savvy Duplicity.
03/19/09
Gilroy expertly keeps viewers guessing about who is gaming who.
03/19/09
It's pretty fun and entertaining for the most part. However, it gets a little talky and ends with a plot twist that's perhaps too convoluted and contrived for its own good.
03/19/09
The artistry is indisputable and, if the clarity gets muddled,the effort to stay afloat in the swamp of spy-gamesmanship does pay off.
03/19/09
Duplicity is more lighthearted; it's the Pitt/Jolie smackdown Mr. & Mrs. Smith without all the gunplay.
03/19/09
Aiming for a romantic-caper vibe, Duplicity zips from one elaborate piece of hugger-mugger to the next. But at a certain point, boredom sets in.
03/19/09
An all's-fair-in-love-and-espionage movie tailor-made for a pair of glamorous stars.
03/19/09
A slick but somewhat convoluted crime caper, Duplicity practically glows from all the high-wattage power of its incandescent stars.
03/19/09
An effervescent burst of snappy writing, direction and star chemistry that burns a hole through the screen.
03/19/09
Latest News for Duplicity
July 23, 2009:
RT on DVD: Duplicity, Friday the 13th and MacGyver!
If you're looking for a bit of DVD froth and fun on the couch on a cold winter's night, what could be better than a Julia Roberts/Clive Owen rom-com-caper? The dialogue is... More...
March 19, 2009:
Critics Consensus: I Love You, Man Is A Fine Bromance
This week at the movies, we've got a bromantic comedy (I Love You, Man, starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel), ominous numerology (Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne),... More...
March 19, 2009:
Box Office Guru Preview: Cage, Roberts, and Rudd Battle For #1 Spot
Three new films roll into North American multiplexes and for the first time in ages, all three have a realistic chance of claiming the number one spot. Comedies have been... More...
March 14, 2009:
Duplicity teams masters of mutual deceit in sizzling make up sex for spies, Julia squirming her way through one night stand pretend amnesia with toe rings, and a different kind of screwing of flabby corporate cutthroats in designer suits. 
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