Duplex

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

Walking into Duplex evoked the same feeling as heading out to search for apartments: We didn’t expect to see anything we liked and we didn’t feel like putting our pants on to do it. The couple Miramax wants us to care about here is Alex (Ben Stiller) and Nancy (Drew Barrymore), two love-struck professionals looking for their dream dwelling. When they finally discover the right apartment, it comes with the cruelest of catches: an old lady. A number of predictable standoffs follow, as our handsome couple attempts to wait out their curmudgeonly roomie from upstairs. We’ll hand it to Stiller; he nails that breaking point when pent-up politeness gives way to unbridled anger. But other than a clenched fistful of his darker moments, you’ll be able to diagram each gag before it fully develops. Drew Barrymore does more harm than good, and assorted bit players add unnecessary outlandish personalities that only extend the movie’s running time. That said, it still beats moving.

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