Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson

CIA officer Claire Stenwick and MI6 agent Ray Koval have left the world of government intelligence to cash in on the highly profitable cold war raging between two rival multinational corporations. The...( read more  read more... )ir mission? Secure the formula for a product that will bring a fortune to the company that patents it first. For their employers--industry titan Howard Tully and buccaneer CEO Dick Garsik--nothing is out of bounds. But as the stakes rise, the mystery deepens and the tactics get dirtier, the trickiest secret for Claire and Ray is their growing attraction. And as they each try to stay one double-cross ahead, two career loners find their schemes endangered by the only thing they can't cheat their way out of: love.

Flixster Users

39% liked it

32,307 ratings

Critics

65% liked it

165 critics

PG-13, 2 hrs. 5 min.

Directed by: Tony Gilroy

Release Date: March 20, 2009

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DVD Release Date: August 25, 2009

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Stats: 12,126 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (12,126)


  • October 12, 2009
    It has been a while since I have seen a movie that attempts to pull off something as complicated as "Duplicity." While the performances were excellent and the story very intriguing the complexities make the movie difficult to stay involved with the characters at times and it end...( read more)s up stumbling over itself now and again.
    Two persons brilliant in the ways of espionage seek to find the perfect game to bring the money home while they also play games with one another and search for a heart in the midst of the chaos brought about by corporate 'spy vs. spy' and subterfuge..
    The banter between Owens and Roberts is fantastic and Giamatti's performance was off the charts brilliant. You could see this movie for these reasons alone.
    The concept is a great one and again I must stress that it has been some time since I have seen a movie try to deliver a tale that weaves in this fashion. It can come off as convoluted, but I would ask the viewer to stick with it.
    All in all, this movie delivers the goods in a package that can sometimes be difficult to translate. If you can follow it the payout is actually quite good.
    See it when you can.
  • October 2, 2009
    Convoluted spy thriller about two operatives in a clandestine love affair working for a CEO trying to outdo his rival. Are they lying to each other? Are they telling the truth? The art of the con can be a dizzying delight. Unfortunately the labyrinthine layers of deception pr...( read more)esented here become a rather headache inducing bore. It's so confusing, after a while, it's difficult to care. We have attractive leads, some light banter and it's all very stylishly filmed, but in the end it all adds up to very little. Paul Giamatti entertainingly chews the scenery as the CEO of Equikrom.
  • September 24, 2009
    It's Mr. and Mrs. Smith meets Ocean's Eleven with sparks of Thomas Crown Affair. It's an intelligent, sexy, witty, charming and a wickedly entertaining movie. A juicy caper that snaps and sparks with smarts, suspense, humor and romance that just make this flick more fun to watch....( read more) It's well-crafted, brilliant, sophisticated and tremendouse. Clive Owen and Julia Roberts are excellent, they have electric and sizzeling chemistry together thats just a joy to watch. Tom Wilkonson and Paul Giamatti are brilliant. A hilarious and exhilerating film. Director, Tony Gilroy crafts another slick, sophisticated and very entertaining film for adults. A dazzeling well-crafted, sharply well-written and wonderfully performend film. A teriffic movie. A total blast of enjoyment from start to finish. A great romantic comedy with magnificent twist and turns. A fantastic caper thats packed with laughs, excitement, stars and style. As good and as enjoyable as movies get.
  • August 30, 2009
    Duplicity starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen is a disappointing film. I was really hoping for a smarter film with these two stars but was it did not happen. Do not get me wrong it was not a bad film and is a good rental. The film centers on two secret agents whom fall in love ...( read more)and are in a scheme for a scheme which will get them big money. I reall ylove Julia & Clive but this is not anything I really loved at all.
  • August 25, 2009
    Not bad...kinda confusing though. It all came together at the end though.
  • November 7, 2009
    i have know i idea what happens in this movie....
  • November 5, 2009
    Hey what can I say I am sucker for Clive Owen. The guy makes a bad movie enjoyable. He is the reason I didn't throw up in my mouth while watching "Shoot 'Em Up". There is a lot of good in this film and really did keep my attention for the whole thing, Gilroy is a good storyteller...( read more) and has a way of using a lot of different layers where it doesn't get confusing to follow along. I agree with Scott on all the bad parts of this movie. The whole I want to make a smarter Ocean's movie did get a little annoying at times, and transitions did bug me, but if I was at home laying on the couch and channel flipping I would stay and watch it for a few minutes again.
  • November 4, 2009
    heard too many bad reviews about this one....
  • November 3, 2009
    zhe ge moive de half shi wu liao de,other half shi ok..
  • November 2, 2009
    It could have been waay better, but not a bad romp

Critic Reviews


March 23, 2009
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

It's a passably amusing brainteaser. full review

March 20, 2009
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

As a caper film, Duplicity is a fizzle. As a mystery, it's a cheat. full review

March 20, 2009
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

I started out loving Duplicity; by the end, I wanted to strangle it. full review

March 20, 2009
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

A snazzy piece of work, tartly acted and cleverly made. Trust me. full review

March 20, 2009
Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com

Ultra sleek, cool, stylish and smart filmmaking. Supremely sophisticated fun - but better pay close attention. full review

March 19, 2009
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

However you describe it, Duplicity is superior entertainment, the most elegantly pleasurable movie of its kind to come around in a very long time. full review

March 19, 2009
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Gilroy and his stars make it elegant fun to be fooled, but they sure as hell make you work for it. full review

March 19, 2009
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Gilroy expertly keeps viewers guessing about who is gaming who. full review

March 19, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Duplicity is entertaining, but the complexities of its plot keep it from being really involving. The fun is in watching Roberts and Owen fencing with dialogue, keeping straight faces, trying to read e... full review

March 18, 2009
Armond White, The New York Press

Duplicity should have been titled Venality. full review

View more Duplicity reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • LHOUSTON1794
    April 1, 2009
    Did not care for the movie. I couldn't even give it a one star. Worst movie I have seen starring Julia Roberts. Save your money.
  • PunkWithMe
    April 1, 2009
    This movie is a waste of money, i cant believe Julia Roberts took part in it! I walked out of the theater after 30 minutes!
  • welice93
    January 30, 2009
    Oscar® winner Julia Roberts and Clive Owen reunite for "Duplicity," from writer/director Tony Gilroy (seven-time Oscar®-nominated "Michael Clayton").

    In the film, they star as spies-turned-corporate operatives in the midst of a clandestine love affair. When they find themselves embroiled in a high-stakes espionage game, they discover the toughest part of the job is deciding how much to trust the one you love.

    CIA officer Claire Stenwick (Roberts) and MI6 agent Ray Koval (Owen) have left the world of government intelligence to cash in on the highly profitable cold war raging between two rival multinational corporations. Their mission? Secure the formula for a product that will bring a fortune to the company that patents it first.

    For their employers—industry titan Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson) and buccaneer CEO Dick Garsik (Paul Giamatti)— nothing is out of bounds. But as the stakes rise, the mystery deepens and the tactics get dirtier, the trickiest secret for Claire and Ray is their growing attraction. And as they each try to stay one double-cross ahead, two career loners find their schemes endangered by the only thing they can't cheat their way out of: love.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Duplicity Trivia


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