Duplicity

Duplicity springs from a solid commercial premise that mashes up Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s 11 series with Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Clive Owen and Julia Roberts play ex-spies who meet again while working for battling corporations … or are they conspiring to foment the war? The idea is that the necessary deception and secrecy of espionage is similar to the ways that insecure lovers push each other away. Both the locations and the stars look beautiful, but Owens and Roberts have zero chemistry, and seemingly no interest in the listless script. You’re too easily convinced their characters don’t have feelings for each other, or any feelings at all. Tony Gilroy directed three actors to Oscar nominations in Michael Clayton, but he shows no touch in this follow-up.