Barrymore wanders through scenes as if she has trouble remembering what day it is.
Duplex (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:105
Fresh:39
Rotten:66
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: It was funnier when it was called Throw Momma From the Train.
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Danny DeVito directs Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore in this devilish black comedy reminiscent of DeVito's THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN and THE WAR OF THE ROSES. Alex Rose (Stiller) and Nancy... Danny DeVito directs Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore in this devilish black comedy reminiscent of DeVito's THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN and THE WAR OF THE ROSES. Alex Rose (Stiller) and Nancy Kendricks (Barrymore) are a young, professional, New York couple in search of their dream home. When they finally find the perfect Brooklyn brownstone they are giddy with anticipation. The duplex is a dream come true, complete with multiple fireplaces, except for one thing: Mrs. Connelly (Eileen Essel), the cranky old lady who lives on the rent-controlled top floor. Assuming she is elderly and ill, they take the apartment but their hopes are quickly dashed when they realize that Mrs. Connelly is an energetic senior who enjoys watching her television at top volume day in and day out and rehearsing in a brass band. A writer, Alex, is attempting to finish his novel against a looming deadline. However, each day as he begins to write, he is interrupted by Mrs. Connelly's numerous demands and requests and what begins as a nuisance quickly escalates into an all-out war. When Nancy loses her job and the pair are trapped at home together with Mrs. Connelly, their rage turns to homicidal fantasy as they plot ways to get rid of their no-good neighbor. Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore are pitch perfect as a good-natured couple who, like most DeVito characters, are driven by rage to do very bad things. [More]
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Ben Stiller, Eileen Essell, Harvey Fierstein
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Ben Stiller, Eileen Essell, Harvey Fierstein, Justin Theroux, Robert Wisdom, James Remar
Director: Danny DeVito
Director: Danny DeVito
Screenwriter: Larry Doyle, John Hamburg
Producer: Stuart Cornfeld, Nancy Juvonen, Drew Barrymore, Ben Stiller
Studio: Miramax Films
Reviews for Duplex
Despite confident direction and performances, it rarely lifts itself above the ordinary.
There's a nice dark comedy in this script that's flattened by DeVito's direction, which continually opts for manic goofiness and cruel vulgarity.
The material is capably handled by director DeVito and lifted by Stiller, a dab hand at physical comedy who also exhibits some onscreen chemistry with Barrymore.
Duplex has its finger on something many of us can relate to, and it milks enough laughs of recognition to earn a moderate recommendation.
Eileen Essel is the real find here, as she manages to play the sweetest but most overbearing old woman you can imagine.
Stiller is the only thing Duplex has going for it, but often he's enough.
Trying to kill a little old lady never looked so difficult -- or so much fun.
A controlled farce that finds its cast mining several big laughs while DeVito, the cynic, deepens the dysfunction with a final surprise twist.
Duplex has enough to keep you seated for its manageable 90 minutes. But then, chances are, you'll be ready to move out.
This movie doesn't know its own limits. It's stylish, it's sort of smart, it's full of misplaced talent. But it's not funny enough, and maybe, in a way, not dark enough either.
This is not the tribute to The Ladykillers it wants to be, but the leads are likable -- and try hard.
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