Tonight's Movie: Duplicity (2009) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

The very engaging DUPLICITY (2009), a tale of corporate spies in love, has just been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

I first reviewed this film here way back in 2009, and I enjoyed it just as much on this revisit.

Julia Roberts, always a favorite of mine, and Clive Owen play the referenced spies, whose relationship and goals only become clear gradually, as the story switches back and forth in time.

When you come down to it, Roberts' and Owen's characters are really rather awful people, constantly engaging in lies and theft, but their charm is such that they come off more like the delightful jewel thieves of TROUBLE IN PARADISE (1932), as noted years ago by reviewer Glenn Erickson.

We root for Roberts and Owen as anti-heroes of a sort, made easier by the fact that the corporate heads (Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson) they are plotting against aren't likeable in the least.

The film has a stellar supporting cast, also including Carrie Preston (THE GOOD WIFE, ELSBETH), Denis O'Hare, Rick Worthy, and Kathleen Chalfont. Each actor makes memorable contributions and is part of why the film works as well as it does.

I termed DUPLICITY a "cinematic jigsaw puzzle" in 2009 and continue to feel it's an apt description. The film's editing, by John Gilroy, including occasional use of multiple onscreen views, is part of what makes it a rather unique film.

The movie was written and directed by Tony Gilroy, and it has echoes of his excellent MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007) as far as being a "nonlinear" tale of corporate intrigue.

I'm an admirer of Gilroy, including the Bourne movies and his contributions to ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016) and ANDOR (2022-25), and his polished work on DUPLICITY shows why.

The movie was filmed by Robert Elswit and features locations in New York City, Italy, the Bahamas, and more.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray print, approved by director Gilroy, is from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative.

Disc extras consist of an archival commentary track by Tony and John Gilroy; the trailer; five additional trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber; and an interview with supporting actor Dan Daily, who plays the aide to Paul Giamatti's character.

I reviewed Kino Lorber's new Blu-ray. Kino Lorber has also released DUPLICITY in a 4K edition.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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