Who's Gaming Who?

All is not what it seems in Duplicity, writer/director Tony Gilroy's followup to the Oscar-nominated Michael Clayton. Set in the world of corporate espionage, Duplicity follows Ray and Claire (Clive Owen and Julia Roberts), former MI-6 and CIA agents who team up to pull off a scam involving two competing drug companies. But who can be trusted when there's so much at stake? Are Ray and Claire really on the same page or are they looking out for themselves, and will the plan really come together without anyone finding out?

With a shifting chronology that forces you to question whose side the major players are on, and a sharp script that crackles with wit, Duplicity is certainly more enjoyable than Clayton was, if a bit lighter-weight. Owen, particularly, gives a great performance that oozes smooth charm, and Roberts often matches him with her trademark strong-willed spunk. The always reliable Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson have supporting roles as the CEOs of the two drug companies, and their scuffle during the opening credits provides some good laughs right off the bat. The film is enhanced by James Newton Howard's score, which sounds like a cross between something David Holmes (Oceans 11, Out of Sight) would have written and Alan Silvestri's score from The Mexican (that's meant as a compliment). And most importantly, I suppose, this film is much easier to understand than Clayton was. Duplicity has class, sophistication, laughs, and a well-paced story. I'm giving it a B+.