Duplicity

So Marley and her private investigator husband live in this really nice house. One day she gets mad at her husband and when he gets home, she's downstairs with a blanket and she informs him that he has to sleep on the couch. The only problem is that just by looking at the house, you know there absolutely has to be at least one additional bedroom in that house. Prior to this scene, he had made Marley some breakfast and told her "it's not much, but I made it with love". See, people don't actually talk like this in real life but I'm not sure if Tyler knows this. It's pretty cringe when Tyler tries to write using expletives and there's a little bit of that here. And TP knows absolutely nothing about nuance. He'll write dialogue like: "don't think I forgot that you faked that slip and fall 5 years ago and got that $32,000 settlement". Like bro...you've made a ton of money and I'm sure there's far more talented writers who just need an opportunity. How about you give them that opportunity?

I honestly don't know what it is about Tyler Perry's movies, but he has a habit of hiring ridiculously attractive people who just can't act. Duplicity is no exception. The dialogue is painfully awkward, filled with lines that don't sound like anything real people would say, and the way the actors deliver them makes it even worse. Everything is over-acted. The entire movie feels forced, unnatural, and honestly, a little embarrassing to watch. Everything is off. Everything is melo-dramatic, overblown and just overall Youtube influencer type of acting.

The only reason I even gave this movie a chance was because of Kat Graham. She was great in The Vampire Diaries, so I know she's capable of delivering a strong performance. But here? It was actually painful to watch her act alongside people who seemed like they had never stepped in front of a camera before. Every interaction was stiff, robotic, and lacking any real chemistry. It's like they just grabbed random people off the street and put them in a major film with zero preparation.

On top of that, the plot is just messy. It's predictable, overly dramatic in the worst way, and full of cringeworthy moments that made me want to turn it off multiple times. I kept waiting for it to get better, for something to make it all worth sitting through, but it never did.

If you're looking for a well-acted, engaging movie, this is not it. It's frustratingly bad, and the only thing worse than the acting is the writing. Don't waste your time.

I'm calling on all script writers and movie directors to take a little bit more time and flesh out a better "ending" for your films TV projects. A lot of of the shows and movies that I watch nowadays, including this particular movie, starts out interestingly enough and pique your interest with a plot that is filled with potential only to sputter out at the end. I mean, come on, let's just do a little bit better. Let's just put a little bit more effort into the endings of films and shows. These film developers are getting millions of dollars to create these projects and it's like - when it's time to write an ending or shoot the conclusion they just rush to the finish line. It's not impossible. I remember watching episodes of Game of Thrones or episodes of Better Call Saul and/or the Ozark and by the end of the episode, right before the credits roll, you just sit there with your mouth wide open. More shows and movies could strive to make people have that feeling, it's not hard. And everything does not always need to be tied into a pretty little bow - you can be a bit daring and shocking in your art, it's OK. These movies and shows lure us In with a good plot potential and then we get let down over and over and over again. It's getting tiring and folks are pretty soon, just going to stop caring (at all) about the projects you develop.

This is a misfire on nearly every front. It trivializes serious issues like police shootings for shallow plot twists, offering no real insight. The storyline is convoluted and implausible, with poorly developed characters acting without logic. The direction feels lazy, the dialogue is clunky, and recycled scenes (like the boat climax from Acrimony) add to the déjà vu. Visually, it looks like outdated TV. Instead of evolving, Perry leans on tired tropes and shock value.

I honestly don't know why people bother with the same regurgitated style of movies he produces. It's now packed with more agenda than before.

He's made his money from the gullible black church community and should move on! Don't watch it but hey, everyone to their own.

Okay, the film isn't Oscar worthy, but it's also not 3 hrs long. Yes, the acting wasn't the best, and some parts were very well over acted, but the plot twists more than made up for its deficiencies. It's "free" on Prime and worth the watch, so enjoy the movie. It's just over 90 minutes long.

I think it also did well addressing current social issues with a positive message, like we can all do better. Thank you Tyler Perry for addressing issues that most filmmakers don't.

While I appreciate the comments to help me gauge a movie, some 5's are on the cusp of becoming a good to a very good movie.