Duplicity

imdb Photos

Plot: Duplicity is a love story about MI-6 agent Ray Stovel (Clive Owen) and CIA Agent Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) who became lovers, and try a scam to make millions so they can run away together. They get involved in a rivalry between two companies, and try to sell the secrets of one company to another. Paul Giamatti steals the show as one of the evil CEO's.

Review: This is an intelliegent movie that goes for more complicated laughs. You need to understand the motivations of the people to see the humor. I think business people will like this more than others.  The writing is excellent with good dialog, an understandable plot, clever plot twists and a good ending. I would like to have seen our spies be a little less cerebral.

This was the funnest movie of the year so far. We have had better movies, but nothing as fun as this yet.

Cast and crew:
Julia Roberts, Clive Owens, Paul Giamatti; written and directed by Roy Gilroy

Rating: 3.0 flasks


More:
There seem to have been more than one page to that formula. The structure seemed have silicon, but later there was an actual formula with supplier names. What were the Swiss guys looking at on the screen? Most lotions don't have silicon. I wish someone would post that structure.

The International

imdb Photos

Plot: The International is a thriller about an evil bank empire that secretly trades arms and finances war around the world. Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) is an interpol agent working with New York district attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) to investigate international arms trading. The bank tries to obstruct the investigation by killing witnesses and investigators. (These are very blood-thirsty bankers.) 

Review: Both Louis Salinger and Eleanor Whitman are likeable characters, and the movie's complicated story keeps the action moving. I liked having a bank as the villian, although the bank is really a cartoon version of an evil bank, and it has little to do with finance. In this economy, I like the idea of an evil bank though.  The complicated plot was not too complicated for me. 

The movie had smart dialog (by Eric Singer) and some quotable lines. The movie was basically a genre picture with a message a bit like Jack Bower in 24 saying it is OK to be a vigilante and who shoots unarmed bad guys. 

There was a shootout at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and I don't know how they made that. Pretty cool. 

Cast and crew:
Owen Wilson, Naomi Watts; directed by Tom Tykwer
Rating
2.5 flasks- almost 3
1/2

More
"This is the essence of banking, to make us slaves of debt."

"If you control the debt, you control everything."