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Duplex (2003)
It's interesting that people could become so annoyed with another person that murder eventually becomes a reasonable consideration. That's the basic premise behind Duplex and it almost works. The main problem is in defining the line where murder doesn't seem so bad. The movie manages to miss where that line is and jumps early, shattering any hope of sympathy for the main characters.
Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore play a yuppie couple living in New York who are anxious to move out of their current apartment into one somewhat larger than a "small child." Their real estate agent shows them a charming duplex in Brooklyn. It is exactly the sort of thing to appeal to this couple. He is a writer working on a second novel and she works for a magazine. The building is littered with great features like three fireplaces, stained glass windows, huge open spaces and lots and lots of wood. There is only one drawback. The second floor is occupied by the elderly Mrs. Connelly, a woman who appears to be in her 90s. When introduced to the couple by the realtor, she appears at death's door. They assume she'll kick off soon, leaving them this great house all to themselves. This is a poor assumption.
It is quickly apparent that Mrs. Connelly is as healthy as an ox and just as ornery. She immediately sets about hounding her new landlords to help her with errands and tend to any number of minor problems with her apartment that she describes in apocalyptic terms. He cannot work like this and progress on his book grinds to a halt. Worse, the old lady doesn't seem to sleep, staying up all night channel surfing at maximum volume. Long story short, they grow to hate her. Her constant nagging becomes a major stumbling block and her tendency to say nasty things with a sweet face doesn't win them over either. She eventually manages to put a major dent in both their careers through this and it's a very short hop from there to considering murder.
That's where the movie lost me. Up until then I was enjoying it. There were good jokes, it built nicely, developing the situation slowly and reasonably while developing the characters. But all that slow careful development is wasted by rushing too suddenly for the kill, so to speak. You can almost hear the studio demanding cuts to reduce the running time. Making the transition too suddenly ruins the mood and insults the viewer's intelligence. The couple has been developed as a fairly smart pair. The antics they engage in after deciding to kill Mrs. Connelly simply don't make sense. Who would try to kill and old lady when a police officer is specifically watching over her? Why would anyone plan a murder to get someone out of their house to realize it's full value that involves badly damaging that house? These inconsistencies and mental lapses undermine our sympathies. That's very bad when making a dark comedy. Such films tread a very thin line between laughter and cruelty and thus establishing our sympathies is absolutely essential.
Ben Stiller is perfect for this role. He is the master of the slow burn and he gets to show that off at great length as his character suffers at the hands of Mrs. Connelly. Drew Barrymore on the other hand seems utterly lost. She's supposed to be an intelligent up and comer and instead comes off as a dimwitted whiner. I'm not really a fan of her work but this is well below what she's capable of. Eileen Essel as Mrs. Connelly turns in a spirited performance. She wanders back and forth between clueless and nasty, leaving the audience thoroughly confused as to the true nature of the character.
In essence I have to say skip this movie. It does get off to a nice start but loses steam and then comes completely apart in the third act. The good parts aren't funny or original enough to warrant stomaching the bad parts. Wait for late night cable and a bout of insomnia before bothering to tackle this one.
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