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PAGE 12, MARCH 30, 2009, THE ISLANDER
“Goin* to
the Show...”
with...
Roland
Willis
DUPLICITY
Starring: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen,
Tom Wilkinson & Paul Giamatti
Written & Directed by Tony Gilroy
Running Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Rated PG-13 - Sex, nudity and profanity
Duplicity: deception by pretend
ing to feel and act one way while
acting another (Webster).
The first con began with the pre
view which gave the impression that
Duplicity is a romantic comedy in
which ex-CIA agent Claire Stenwick
(Julia Roberts) and ex-MI6 agent
Ray Koval (Clive Owen) fall in love,
abandon their government careers
and use all their covert skills to per
petrate a huge money-making scam.
Having lived lives of complete
deceit, the fun would come from a
romance full of duplicity in which
each party completely distrusts the
other.
Of course, if they can’t trust each
other, the audience can’t trust them
either and the audience’s reaction is
one of confusion rather than laugh
ter!
The second con is that this movie
is not really about the relationship
between Claire and Ray but about
the hatred between the heads of two
rival corporations and the elaborate
sting operation that one perpetrates
on the other.
Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson)
and Richard Garsik (Paul Giamatti)
are the CEOs of two huge corpo
rations that manufacture and sell
the same types of products, name
ly household products, detergents,
shampoos etc.
They can’t stand each other to
the point that these two success
ful, wealthy adults get into a brawl
whenever they meet.
They are both paranoid about cor
porate spying and both have counter
intelligence units; Claire works for
Tully and Ray works for Garsik.
Over all the Hills
and Valleys, You are
the Best Pad by Far.
Happy Birthday!
We love you - J.T., Dave, Rob, Sam, Tom & Harvest
Tully announces to his people that
a major new product is in the pipe
line. Garsik’s people must wiggle
their way into Tully’s organization
and identify this new product so that
they can get out ahead with an iden
tical product of their own.
Does Claire work for Tully or for
Garsik’s intelligence unit, or is she
working on her own scam with Ray?
The story is further confused
because the intelligence operation is
interrupted by a series of flashbacks
intended to define the true nature of
the relationship between Claire and
Ray.
I was expecting some chemistry,
some spark between Julia Roberts
and Clive Owen, as in their last
encounter in the edgy Closer, but in
retrospect, how could there be when
their relationship might itself be a
scam.
The writer and director Tony Gil
roy is developing a specialization
for movies in which there are many
twists and turns. His last movie
was the wonderful Michael Clay
ton. Although complicated, that plot
was at least understandable and the
audience leaving the theatre was not
muttering, “What on earth was that
about!”
In Duplicity, however, he may
have gone too far.
The cast is excellent.
I always thought that Clive Owen
would be the next 007; he is certainly
as handsome as the young Sean Con
nery and shares that combination of
charm and menace that women find
so attractive. I still think his best
movie was Croupier (1998).
Julia Roberts will always be
the sexy Erin Brockovich or Pretty
Woman to many people and is, con
sequently, underrated as an actress
in spite of creating such defining
roles as Joanne Herring in Charlie
Wilson’s War or as Clive Owen’s
sometime wife in Closer.
3dcmd CINEMAS
Sea Island Rd. at Frederica Rd.
www.hollywood.conn
MOVIES INFO. BARGAIN
. 634-9100 MATINEES DAILY,
THE HAUNTING IN
CONNECTICUT (PG-13)
Mon-Thurs 5:00, 8:10
MONSTERS VS. ALIENS (PG)
Mon-Thurs 4:30, 7:40
DUPLICITY (PG-13)
Mon-Thurs 4:25, 7:45
I LOVE YOU, MAN (R)
Mon-Thurs 4:50, 8:05
KNOWING (PG-13)
Mon-Thurs 4:45, 8:00
RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
(PG)
Mon-Thurs 4:40, 7:50
THE READER (R)
Mon-Thurs 4:35, 7:555
In Duplicity she manages to tread
the fine line of pretended love.
Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton,
In the Bedroom) gives his usual stel
lar performance as the scheming
CEO.
However, Paul Giamatti (John
Adams, Sideways) is terrific as the
rival CEO. The brief glimpse of his
anguish at the end of the film is
worth the price of admission.
If you go to the movies for enter
tainment and comic relief then go see
I Love You, Man.
If you enjoy a good mystery story
then Duplicity is for you.
In this context, my rating is B.
□
April 3-4,2009*
Friday 9 til 7 * Saturday 9 til 4
At the entrance to
St. Simons Public Library
*Pre$ale Thurs. April 1, $-8 p.w. for Library League wewbers only.
Join on presale day and get first pick of some great reading.
Lots of new, like new, and gently read books,
DVDs, audio books & VCRs
Selection includes: Paper and hardcover fiction, non-fiction by subject,
children's, cookbooks, art & tabletop books, and some first editions.
Proceeds benefit St. Simons Library
and the Library League's film series
To donate, bring small numbers of books to the library.
For larger donations, call Bruce Rumage at 634-6277.
Sponsored by The St. Simons Library League