Duplicity
What does it say about me that, even though it’s not the ending we “want,” I liked the way Tony Gilroy ended his crafty little romantic caper film? Gotta hand it to him- Gilroy, following up his Oscar-winning first film as writer/director (“Michael Clayton”) with another tale of corporate corruption, hits all the right notes of teasing storytelling and teasing romanticism in this flick.
“Ocean’s Eleven” this is not. It all starts at a party at the US consolet in Dubai, where Ray (Clive Owen) eyes Claire (Julia Roberts) from across the party. After some verbal foreplay, they make it back to Ray’s room for some lovin’. But no sooner is the act done than Claire has drugged Ray, and is scrounging around his room, eventually coming across some secret codes which she snakes from him. Turns out Claire is with the CIA, Ray with MI-6.
Ray’s frustration has been building in the years since, which makes the seemingly chance encounter in New York with her- both are now working for private corporations (rivals)- awkward…at first. But things aren’t as clear-cut as all that. As we see in a myriad of flashbacks over the years (detailing encounters between the two in Rome, Miami, and…Cleveland?), turns out Claire and Ray- though now with exes in front of their respective intelligence employers- are working counter-intelligence for both companies as a way to cash in big when the opportunity arises.
Gilroy- used to globe-traveling espionage games after his work on the “Bourne” movies- and composer James Newton Howard (who cuts loose with a fun and energetic score) set the tone early when we see a scuffle break out on an airport tarmac between the two CEOs (played with devilish glee by Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson) of the companies who will play a part in this little farce. And it just gets crazier from there, as Gilroy flashes back (and back, and back) as the movie goes forward, picking up with Claire and Ray at key moments in their relationship- which is built on genuine affection, even if neither trusts the other because of what they do for a living- as they plan this little piece of trickery that could pay out big. What puts the plot in motion isn’t important- it’s a classic Hitchcock McGuffin. What is important is the sly and sexy teamwork between Roberts and Owen, who hit all the right notes in this admittedly overlong (but not short on fun) romantic caper, even when it seems like they were the ones in over their heads all along.
