“Duplicity”

Rating: 8/10

Opens: March 20, 2009

If you’re looking for an entertaining flick with sex appeal, “Duplicity” is your best bet at the box office this weekend. Director Tony Gilroy brings us spies, travel, betrayal, and snappy dialogue. Sounds alluring? I assure you it is. “Duplicity” is “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” with a better plot and more twists and turns than you’d find in a large order of curly fries from Jack in the Box.

The magic in “Duplicity” is built around the stellar cast. You’ve got Paul Giamatti, as neurotic as ever, Julia Roberts, charming and disarming, and Clive Owen. What can I say, the man is drenched in pure testosterone…and I’m into it. As Julia Roberts’ career seems to be taking a backseat to her family, and as she becomes increasingly selective with her roles, it’s nice to see America’s original sweetheart back on the big screen.

The plot is centered around two agents who agree to leave their careers behind in order to join forces in an effort to land in lap of luxury. The scheme becomes convoluted when their trust is put to the test, again and again. Everyone plays each other and although you might think you know what’s going on, trust me, you probably don’t.

It’s rare that I see a movie that entertains me for the entire two hours. Let’s be honest, this is 2009. A girl needs a bag of salty popcorn, my hot pink Blackberry and easy access to my Twitter account. In my opinion, a true measure of a good movie is one that can make me forget about my perceived necessary accessories. At the LA premiere of “Duplicity,” I didn’t touch my phone once.

Now, I’m not afraid to give it to you straight. This movie is very reminiscent of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Oceans 11,” Oceans 12,” etc. If you’re a big fan of these films, you might experience a little movie theater deja-vu. Additionally, I walked out of the theater hearing people around me saying, “What was the point of that?” Perhaps the twists and turns were a little too much for some to handle. While I found the unraveling plot entertaining, I can see where others could find it irritating.

See “Duplicity” if you’re into spies, sex and a switching plot line. If not, save your money.

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