DUPLICITY (2009)

Written & Directed By Tony Gilroy



Where & When: Fairfax Cinemas Los Angeles, CA. April 28, 2009 4:00PM



I just got around to "Duplicity" even though I was initially really looking forward to seeing the film. I hadn't heard or read anything positive about it, which made it less of a priority and after seeing it... I could have waited a little longer. Don't get me wrong... I actually kinda liked it but "Duplicity" certainly is not a great film. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star in this convoluted, spy versus spy, romantic, dramatic, thriller where you are constantly trying to keep track of what's going on and who's doing what to who and at the end... not really caring.

Our story begins by introducing us to Howard Tully and Richard Garsik played by Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti who are rival business men who typically want to destroy the other so that they can rule the world. Mr. Garsik has hired Claire (Ms Roberts) to be a mole in Mr. Tully's company. Her job is to find out what their secret project is, steal it and bring it to Mr. Garsik where he can use it to make millions of more dollars. You can NEVER have too much money.

Claire arranges to have Ray (Mr. Owen) also work for Mr. Garsik who happens to be her lover/former target/business partner. They had met years ago when she stole some secret papers from him after she slept with and drugged him. Now they are working together to find out what the secret project is, steal it from Mr. Tully and then steal it from Mr. Garsik and sell it themselves and make millions of dollars. But they don't exactly trust each other which makes their plan slightly complicated in carrying out.

Oh. And the film jumps back and forth in time and locations. Got all of that? Perhaps it not that complicated and it could just be me. "Michael Clayton" shared a similar style as well as writer and I really liked that film. Ending on a positive note, Tony Gilroy assembled a superb cast which included some of my favorite actors like Tom Wilkinson as well as great actors better known on the stage like Denis O'Hare and Kathleen Chalfant.

Julia Roberts is back in spectacular form using all her gifts which helped make her a superstar but now with a maturity that is very becoming on her. Clive Owen, another fav, is an unconventionally handsome and charming man whose dark edges makes him very appealing and together with Ms Roberts elevate this film to slightly better than average.

10 THINGS ABOUT ME

I woke up one day last week and decided I wanted to write a blog. A blog about movies.

I go to the movies at least three times a week, so why not write what I think about them.

Before I begin, I guess I will tell a little about myself... Not that it's important in regards to this but It may explain where I'm coming from.

1. I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and I was raised in Westland, Michigan.

2. I moved to California in 1988 because I wanted to get far away from Westland, Michigan.

3. I am an art school drop-out.

4. The first movie I remember seeing is "Snow White and the Seven Dwarf's" at a drive-in. I think I was about five years old. I remember the wicked stepmother scaring the hell out of me. I saw the film again recently and she still scares me.

5. I have my mother to thank for my love of movies.

6. I actually don't mind reading subtitles.

7. I have only walked out of a movie twice. I don't remember which movies but I think one of them had Sharon Stone in it. One movie I walked out of only because the person I went with wanted to go. I almost walked out of "Reservoir Dogs" during the ear cutting scene. I was out of my seat and in the aisle but I stayed to the end.

8. I don't mind going to a movie by myself. Sometimes I prefer it.

9. My least favorite film genre is horror. What I really mean is slasher flicks.

10. I've only seen the first "Harry Potter" movie. I didn't mind the movie but I just couldn't bring myself to see the others.

OBSESSED (2009)

Written By David Loughery


Directed By Steve Shill


Where & When: Mann Grauman's Chinese, Hollywood, CA April 26, 2009 7:40 PM



The day started off on a very sad note. I had called my friend Shawn to figure out what movie we were going to see today and he had just found out his nephew had passed away in Tennessee. He had sickle cell anemia. He was such a sweet and beautiful person. He will really be missed. I thought Shawn might want to cancel but he still wanted to go and I understood. We decided to go see "Obsessed". Shawn loves these type of films, the "I love you so much that I will make you love me no matter what" like "Swimfan", "The Crush" and of course, "Fatal Attraction". Shawn says the ladies in these films are just misunderstood. It's all coming from a good place--love.

"Obsessed" is another tale in this genre but it's not nearly as good as these other films. It opens with a buppie couple, Derick and Sharon, played by Idris Elba and Beyonce Knowles moving on up to the west side with their adorable young son. Life is wonderfully perfect until her husband goes to work one day and meets a beautiful blonde temp named Lisa played by Ali Larter. They flirt innocently or at least that's what Derick thought but Lisa takes him a little too seriously. But she's sadly mistaken because Derick is very happily married and would never cheat on his wife, if he knows what's good for him. Sharon has made it very clear to him on numerous occasions what would happen if he even looks at another woman.

Lisa has one goal-- to make Derick her man and will not let a little thing like a wife stop her from achieving this goal. She goes to great lengths to convince Derick of her love for him; giving him a CD of his favorite band, sexually assaulting him in the men's room at the office Christmas party to finally following him on a business trip where she proceeds to drug and rape him. Surprisingly, none of this works and he tells Lisa that he will never be her man. So she does the only logical thing left to do--she tries to commit suicide in his hotel room.

Well, now the police have to get involved and the world's worst detective is assigned to the case played by Christine Lahti. Sharon now finds out what's going on and she's not happy. Sharon doesn't trust her husband anymore and kicks Derick to the curb. Derick is able to win back his wife but Lisa is not one to give up without a fight which Sharon is more than happy to oblige. The girl on girl fight action is the highlight of the film and could only be topped by adding water or jello to the mix.

All the actors do the best they can with what they've got to work with and it was good to see Ms Lahti in a movie but hopefully someone will give her a better opportunity to showcase her talent. Beyonce joins Madonna and Whitney Houston as singers who should stick to what they do best and leave acting to the professionals. I have one bit of advice for the aspiring actress, "Just keep on singing, don't stop singing".