“Duplex” (Miramax)
Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore star in the dark comedy “Duplex.” They are okay but the movie is not. This poorly structured film is not one you will want to inhabit, and should be taken off the market as soon as possible. Director Danny DeVito may have been shooting for another “War of the Roses” type hit but all he got was “This Property Is Condemned.”
Stiller and Barrymore play Alex and Nancy, a young couple trying to find good living quarters in New York. They are at the end of their rope when their realtor (Harvey Fierstein) shows them a duplex in Brooklyn. It is barely in their price range but they take it anyway, along with the renter in the apartment upstairs.
The renter they have inherited with the building is the problem. Her name is Mrs. Connelly (Eileen Essell) and on the surface she looks like a sweet, elderly Irish woman. But at heart she is a demon. She seems determined to make Alex and Nancy’s lives as miserable as possible. Thanks to rent control they can’t evict her and they can’t raise her rent. They are in a mess.
As the movie progresses so does the war between the couple and the tenant. But at every turn the tenant wins. Finally the young couple resorts to violence and that has surprising results.
For about the first fifteen minutes to a half-hour the movie is funny. But then the one joke gets old and so does the movie. By the time DeVito is resorting to “throw up” jokes you know the movie is going downhill fast. By the time the film ends you are sick of all three of the leads and just want to escape.
The main flaw of the film is the couple. They are inconsistent in their actions. At one time they are lifesavers and at others they are potential murderers. You can’t have it both ways but this movie does. And then when a silly, completely unsatisfying ending is tacked on, well it is time to run for the doors.
Stiller and Barrymore both have their moments so their acting credentials are still intact. They are just good people trapped in a bad movie. Essell is the show but she is so bad at being repulsive that you never want to see her again – anywhere!
The movie is rated PG-13 for violence and profanity.
Maybe some will see the humor in the movie. DeVito is certainly aiming for a black comedy. But I was left in the dark, trying to stumble on a laugh wherever I could find one.
“Duplex” is a dud that you won’t even want to rent. Close the door, turn the key and say good-bye to this out of control, rent controlled movie.
I scored “Duplex” an infested 3 out of 10.
