Ah the joys of chemistry. When you combine certain food ingredients that go right together, you have what some people refer to as a "mouth orgy". When you combine certain chemicals you get the cure for a deathly disease. And when you put together the right stars on screen, there is a certain magnetic force that sucks the audience in. You know what I am talking about. If you do not remember Hepburn and Tracy, then maybe you have seen it in recent films. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had it in the only so-so Mr and Mrs Smith. So did Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. I could also tell you who didn't have it- Billy Bob Thorton and Halle Berry in Monster's Ball (I actually took a date to that movie and our courtship stopped there). Recently there is another prime example of compatible pairing, and that is in the form of Clive Owen and Julia Roberts in Duplicity.

The marketing for this film makes it look as if it is aiming for fans of the Ocean's 11 series, and that is probably the demographic it is seeking. However, the final product could not be any more different besides that basic premise of sexy people plotting to do illegal things. Owen plays Ray, an MI-5 agent and Roberts plays Claire, a CIA agent. After years of these two playing flirtatious cat-and-mouse, they have formed somewhat of a relationship that consists of lovemaking and lies. They eventually realize that, if they can trust one another completely for once, that they can combine their slick ways to make money. But the question is how.

Ray brainstorms the idea of penetrating a company, learning about their competition, and somehow devising a strategy to make a profit from the scheme. Claire springboards from this idea and comes across a corporation headed by power-hungry CEO (Tom Wilkinson). It just so happens that this CEO is enemies with another CEO (Paul Giamatti) of an equally large company. It is unclear exactly what these companies do, but their drive is to release upon the world the most life-altering product. With these two childish men playing a game of one-upmanship, Ray and Claire see the opportunity to become involved in their game and make a profit off of a major revelation that both companies would kill to get their hands on.

Duplicity is the follow-up project to Michael Clayton for writer/director Tony Gilroy. In a way the two films are alike in that they take themselves quite seriously. There is an undeniable light step to Duplicity that you do not get with the somber tone of Clayton, but Duplicity is also a caper movie that does not deal with silly characters and cool gadgets. The movie has a sense of sophistication that would probably bore those expecting the thrills encountered with the Oceans films. The storyline is intense when it needs to be intense, but also spends a lot of time paying attention to detail. In fact, it is this keen eye for detail that made me invest so much in what these characters were trying to accomplish. The narrative of the film is not done in the classical structure of start from finish. Instead we are thrown into mix without a clue and are gradually let in on the action through a series of flashbacks that are just as enigmatic as the present until just the right moment.

The performances are really what surprised me here. I do not hate Julia Roberts, but I sometimes sit in cringe-worthy anticipation for her loud laughs that have practically become supporting characters in her movies. You could say the same thing for Kate Hudson whimsically tripping on everything. Luckily I only counted one Roberts guffaw. I was surprised at the seriousness of her character, and I was also surprised at the sexual appeal she brought to the screen. This has a lot to do with the presence of Clive Owen. The two actors have undeniable chemistry here and this is a large part of what makes the movie work. I thank my lucky stars that Owen turned down James Bond so he could throw projects such as this on his resume. It would also be a crime if I didn't mention Paul Giamatti in a supporting role where he once again has ample opportunity to chew the scenery.

I am not going to rank Duplicity as a great film, but I would be lying if I said I was not entertained. I admire this film because it offers the right balance of everything: humor, romance, suspense, etc. It is a caper movie with a smart edge thanks to Tony Gilroy's touch. Really it is just a relief to see male and female leads playing off one another so well and producing a sexual tension that is hard to ignore. Finally I think there is a date film out there for couples interested in thinking and taking a little break from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Before Raising Helen and Realizing He's Just Not Into you.