Tyler Perry's Duplicity

Interesting Amazon original movie.

It is a modest police thriller, in some ways also with a fairly predictable ending, which however has the greatest merit of addressing, in a fairly clear and understandable way, also some socially burning and politically always very current issues, namely the training techniques of police officers, the superficial and approximate way of closing certain legal cases through plea bargaining, the domestic violence and, above all, the racism.

Aesthetically, the work is very good, filmed in 4K, it is practically free from criticism.

In my humble opinion, it is worth seeing, provided that one has a certain indulgence towards certain glaring interpretative errors (even on the part of the protagonists, unfortunately). It is certainly not a boring movie, even if, as already mentioned, it lacks originality.

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Marley Wells (Kat Graham) is a high flying attorney, with a loving husband, Tony (Tyler Perry, also starring?!!) and her best friend, Fela (Meagan Tandy.) However, when Fela's partner, Kevin (RonReaco Lee) is slain in a police stop, by new recruit Officer Caleb (Jimi Stanton), under the supervision of family friend Shannon (Shannon LaNier), Wells's life is thrown into a whirlwind of disarray, with a devastating truth where everything may not be as it seems.

For the fourth time in the space of a year (including his two and a half hour unseen farrago Divorce in the Black), writer/director Tyler Perry has another passion project on the go that he can't wait for us all to see. Featuring a no name cast, including, it seems, the man himself, here he has a stab at a suspense thriller with a social justice slant thrown in ('cos that's still an in thing), but if at first he didn't succeed, trying, trying and trying again really hasn't worked for him.

The theme of black men being shot dead in police stops still holds a great deal of passion for many, and so it's still a fairly inspired premise on which to base a new film, but here it's delivered in such a ham fisted, heavy handed manner that it has no effect. There is the slightest hint of genuine suspense and mystery to the story, but it's quickly drowned out by descending into a preposterous, drawn out ending that pollutes the rest of the project.

Missieur Perry would do well to consider the likes of Uwe Boll, and even the 'legendary' Ed Wood, and consider his present trajectory in their direction before he gets carried away again. **

So Marley and her private investigator husband live in this really nice house. One day she gets mad at her husband and when he gets home, she's downstairs with a blanket and she informs him that he has to sleep on the couch. The only problem is that just by looking at the house, you know there absolutely has to be at least one additional bedroom in that house. Prior to this scene, he had made Marley some breakfast and told her "it's not much, but I made it with love". See, people don't actually talk like this in real life but I'm not sure if Tyler knows this. It's pretty cringe when Tyler tries to write using expletives and there's a little bit of that here. And TP knows absolutely nothing about nuance. He'll write dialogue like: "don't think I forgot that you faked that slip and fall 5 years ago and got that $32,000 settlement". Like bro...you've made a ton of money and I'm sure there's far more talented writers who just need an opportunity. How about you give them that opportunity?

This is a misfire on nearly every front. It trivializes serious issues like police shootings for shallow plot twists, offering no real insight. The storyline is convoluted and implausible, with poorly developed characters acting without logic. The direction feels lazy, the dialogue is clunky, and recycled scenes (like the boat climax from Acrimony) add to the déjà vu. Visually, it looks like outdated TV. Instead of evolving, Perry leans on tired tropes and shock value.

I honestly don't know why people bother with the same regurgitated style of movies he produces. It's now packed with more agenda than before.

He's made his money from the gullible black church community and should move on! Don't watch it but hey, everyone to their own.

I recently watched Tyler Perry's new movie "Duplicity," and I'd like to share my thoughts without giving away any plot details for those who haven't seen it yet. From the outset, the film's direction is fairly predictable, adhering to a familiar formula seen in many of Perry's previous works. As such, there isn't much suspense, and it's easy to foresee how the story unfolds.

While the cast comprises talented actors, the film ultimately falls short for me. Many of the issues presented are glossed over, lacking the necessary buildup and depth. I believe the movie would have benefited from more background information and character development, allowing viewers to connect more deeply with the characters.

The ending offers some action, but it's limited to the last 20 minutes of the nearly two-hour runtime. This leaves the rest of the movie feeling drawn out, with many moments where more development could have enriched the story. Unfortunately, this seems to be a case where Tyler Perry missed the mark.

The film had the potential to be great, but its lack of character development and predictability hindered its impact. One central theme, the issue of police shootings of unarmed Black men and the societal response to such events, deserved more attention and exploration. This aspect, in particular, could have been a powerful focal point.

I admire Tyler Perry as a director, but I feel that both he and his team often miss opportunities to delve deeper into important themes and character arcs. There are numerous elements in his films that could take center stage but remain underdeveloped. As a result, "Duplicity" didn't quite resonate with me as much as I had hoped.