HOLLYWOOD—To say that I had a feeling after the first 10 minutes one of the culprits in this expected thriller would be an understatement. I like to give all movies a chance, but Tyler Perry, the level of predictability in your thriller, “Duplicity” had me tuning out at points. First, I have to give you kudos for the casting of Katerina Graham, a talented actress who burst on the scene on the CW series “The Vampire Diaries” and has dabbled in some movies, but nothing that pops quite like this one.
She portrays Marley Davis, a high-powered attorney who is known for winning her client’s cases and getting big settlements along the way. She has a core group of pals who are in the public sphere/spotlight, which includes Fela, who happens to be a reporter, Tony (Tyler Lepley), who is a former cop/turned private detective that she is currently dating, but has her guard up, and then there’s Kevin (Ronreaco Lee), a cop as well, who makes Fela’s skin boil.
Yes, pay attention to that dynamic between Fela and Kevin because it’s important to the movie. The audience immediately discovers that Fela is having trouble in her marriage to Rodney. We don’t know much about marriage troubles, but it is immediately aware the tension between these two can explode at any moment.
Cue the political element, when Fela’s husband is murdered by a cop in an alleged self-defense claim. Chaos erupts between the friend group as justice is warranted, and secrets start to come out proving all is not as it seems. Graham is indeed the driving force of the narrative and the most compelling character out of all the characters in the film. There are other supporting characters who include Fela’s co-anchor, Shannon and Tom, who help get enamored in the twists and turns, but nothing so explosive your mouth drops open.
There is one scene that feels so staged, so obvious and just beyond disgusting, I couldn’t even believe Tyler Perry put it into the movie. I mean a White woman calling the cops because she saw a Black man walking past her house. Give me a break already. It does happen unfortunately in the real world, but for it to be blatantly put into the movie just feels weak.
Not to mention the political mayhem of police brutality, racism and coverups that are not fully explored in a way that keeps and maintains your interest. Yeah, I truly wanted to see those elements fleshed out considering it’s a movie about deception and it’s titled “Duplicity.” If you’re expecting characters to be deceptive, then the notion of who you can and cannot trust should not be so obvious. The audience knows who we can trust, and it’s easy to rule out who we cannot, which a good thriller does the exact opposite; everyone should be considered a suspect.
My biggest gripe is just when the movie is getting exciting at the big climax, it ends so quickly, I had to tell myself, “C’mon!” I wanted so much more. There should have been more fighting, more chaos, I wanted more as a viewer, and I felt cheated. “Duplicity” is a decent watch if you’re bored, you might lose your focus here and there, but it entertains, but it is nothing that you’ll talk about after you have watched.
