Duplex (2003)

Director:

Danny DeVito

Writer (WGA):

Larry Doyle (written by)

Release Date:

26 September 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Alex and Nancy finally found their dream home...And then they moved in.

Plot:

A young couple has a chance to move into a gorgeous duplex in the perfect New York neighborhood. All they have to do is bump off the current tenant, a cute little old lady.

Plot Keywords:

Irish American | Box Office Flop | Con Artist | Duplex | Harpoon

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ben Stiller	...	Alex Rose
Drew Barrymore	...	Nancy Kendricks
Eileen Essell	...	Mrs. Connelly
Harvey Fierstein	...	Kenneth
Justin Theroux	...	Coop
James Remar	...	Chick
Robert Wisdom	...	Officer Dan
Swoosie Kurtz	...	Jean
Wallace Shawn	...	Herman
Maya Rudolph	...	Tara
Amber Valletta	...	Celine
Cheryl Klein	...	Ginger
Tim Maculan	...	Terrence
Jackie Sandler	...	Bartender (as Jackie Titone)
Yevgeni Lazarev	...	Mr. Dzerzhinsky (as Eugene Lazarev)

Also Known As:

Appartement-Schreck, Der (Germany)
Our House (UK)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and some violence.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Netherlands:6 | UK:12 (tv rating) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40220) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Chile:TE | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Goofs:

After the shooting in the hospital Nancy's hand is on Alex shoulder and moves about between shots.

Quotes:

Mrs. Connelly: I don't drink meself, it's a sin.

Movie Connections:

Features Woody Woodpecker and His Friends (1982) (V)

Soundtrack:

Allegro - L'Estro Armonico Op.3: Concerto No. 2 in G Minor

crude but often amusing comedy

In Danny De Vito's "Duplex," Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore play a young couple who buy a "dream apartment" in Brooklyn whose amenities include everything two upwardly mobile yuppies could possibly want: ample space, solid wood floors, three glorious fireplaces, and, above all, a quiet environment where Alex, a budding novelist, can spend his days writing in uninterrupted peace and quiet. Or so they think…for, unfortunately, the place also comes replete with what turns out to be the tenant from hell, a doddering old woman who lives on the second floor and who makes life miserable for the two of them with her continually blaring television and her constant intrusions into their daily lives. Finally driven to the breaking point, Alex and Nancy decide to take matters into their own hands in order to rid themselves of this human pest in any way they can.

"Duplex" is, essentially, a one-joke comedy and, as such, it does suffer from the occupational hazard common to all one-joke comedies of built-in repetitiousness. However, the writing has a surprisingly dark edge to it that lifts the film above the run-of-the-Hollywood-comedy-mill. I must confess to having a certain weakness for dotty old lady comedies, counting among my favorite films the original British classic "The Lady killers" from 1955. Eileen Essel is so delightful as the bete noire of the piece that it's hard not to fall under the spell of both her character and the film itself. De Vito, in a return to the black comedy form that served him so well in "The War of the Roses," keeps the comedy tough and brutal, even if it means bludgeoning the audience over the head a bit in the process. Stiller does his usual shtick as the put-upon Everyman, while Barrymore is able to use her customary cutesiness to full advantage as the sweet little ingénue driven to murder to save her own sanity.

"Duplex" is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, and I imagine that it would not win the stamp of approval from the AARP. Still, if you're in the market for something different in a mainstream comedy, "Duplex" just might fit the bill.