When "Duplicity's" plot kicks in, Stenwick is not only B&R's assistant director of counterintelligence, she is also a corporate mole secretly reporting to Omnikrom. And who is the Omnikrom contact, the agent who controls her? Yes, it's Ray Koval.
That basic set-up is all you need to know. Frankly, even if you wanted to know more, the nature of "Duplicity's" plotting is so dazzlingly complex, so full of turns inside of twists and twists inside of turns, it's difficult to fully convey. The film makes your head spin like an amusement park ride you can barely hang on to, something that needs to be experienced to be appreciated.
In addition to their obvious box office appeal, Roberts and Owen are just the right casting. Both Koval and Stenwick are self-absorbed, self-involved manipulators, a state of mind major movie-business players understand all too well. It's not too much to say that their professions have turned Koval and Stenwick into stars who are always on, always conscious of being watched, always playing everything they do for its effect on the audience, which, in this case, very much includes us.
As was the case with "Michael Clayton," "Duplicity" is beautifully shot by Robert Elswit, crisply edited by John Gilroy and splendidly cast from top to bottom (the veteran Ellen Chenoweth did the honors again). It's so well acted, you don't even miss Roberts and Owen when they are not on screen, which for a star vehicle is saying quite a lot.
Though it's almost a shame to single anyone out, special mention must be given to Carrie Preston as a travel agent who loses her way and Giamatti, who throws himself with palpable zest into the role of a tycoon who is so competitive he hates bowling because "a game with a limit on your score is a waste of time."
As that memorable character line attests, one of the real stars here is filmmaker Gilroy. He's written fine dialogue of all sorts, from repartee to romance to comedy and tension, and he's directed with the same snap, energy and playfulness he brought to the writing. Everything in "Duplicity" may be a scam, but Gilroy's talent is the real thing.
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kenneth.turan@latimes.com
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'Duplicity'
MPAA rating: PG-13 for language and some sexual content
Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Playing: In general release
