“You on one side, me on the other, it's perfect.”

Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, and Tom Wilkinson star in this espionage comedy about two agents in a unique relationship amid a huge corporate espionage scheme.

The plot setup is simple enough. Two business executives, played by Giamatti and Wilkinson, escalate their bitter rivalry with their own business espionage team which includes British spy veteran Ray Koval, played by Owen, and U.S. espionage veteran Claire Stenwick, played by Roberts.

All four principal actors have a common goal of getting ahead in life, but at a very high level. They all seek advantages dependent on their intellect and placement in life. Privileged information becomes the main catalyst for action while each action creates an engaging story with meaning.

Roberts has the pole position between the two lead roles, which Owen completely accepts, making his performance even better. Owen breaks the male spy mold with a unique performance marked by will, self-sacrifice, and those selfish impulses lurking in everyone’s psyche. It's ironic that this role, as well as his role in The International, provides strong contrast to his potential role as the suave but often stereotypical James Bond.

Ray and Claire have considerable skills, but not in a way most audiences would imagine. The amazingly beautiful Claire does not create a diversion using her sexuality. Ray does not have an extended fight scene. Yet, these characters still have amazing appeal especially with an excellent supporting cast filled with great character from each corporate espionage team.

One side boasts Denis O’Hara, who plays team leader Duke Monahan, and Kathleen Chalfant as Pam Frailes, while the other has Thomas McCarthy as Jeff Bauer and Wayne Duvall as Ned Guston. Ukranian actor Oleg Shtefanko (a.k.a. Oleg Stefan) also makes a memorable impression as Boris Fetyov.

Director/screenwriter Tony Gilroy creates a maturely planned “people chase” where the stars balance a formidable acting challenge and filmmakers balance an intelligent plot with logic and interest. Remember this is corporate espionage, people. No big car chase scene and the players don’t have guns… most aren’t even physically threatening. It’s a refreshing cinematic change though it’s completely logical to consider at some point someone would have pulled a knife or reacted violently with so much at stake, which makes the plot feel a bit staged and rigid.

Article Author: Tall Writer

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