Duplex (2003)

Editor's Note Danny DeVito directs Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore in this devilish black comedy reminiscent of DeVito's THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN and THE WAR OF THE ROSES. Alex Rose (Stiller) and Nancy Kendricks (Barrymore) are a young, professional, New York couple in search of their dream home. When they finally find the perfect Brooklyn brownstone they are giddy with anticipation. The duplex is a dream come true, complete with multiple fireplaces, except for one thing: Mrs. Connelly (Eileen Essel), the cranky old lady who lives on the rent-controlled top floor. Assuming she is elderly and ill, they take the apartment but their hopes are quickly dashed when they realize that Mrs. Connelly is an energetic senior who enjoys watching her television at top volume day in and day out and rehearsing in a brass band. A writer, Alex, is attempting to finish his novel against a looming deadline. However, each day as he begins to write, he is interrupted by Mrs. Connelly's numerous demands and requests and what begins as a nuisance quickly escalates into an all-out war. When Nancy loses her job and the pair are trapped at home together with Mrs. Connelly, their rage turns to homicidal fantasy as they plot ways to get rid of their no-good neighbor. Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore are pitch perfect as a good-natured couple who, like most DeVito characters, are driven by rage to do very bad things.

	Harvey Fierstein
	Drew Barrymore
	Justin Theroux
	Eileen Essell
	James Remar
	Ben Stiller
	Robert Wisdom
	Larry Doyle - Screenwriter
	Ben Stiller - Producer
	Drew Barrymore - Producer
	Stuart Cornfeld - Producer
	Nancy Juvonen - Producer
	John Hamburg - Screenwriter
	Danny DeVito - Director

New York Times
"...A refreshingly mean-spirited gothic real estate comic....[The script] is dexterous and tight, and its humor is both sharp and double-edged..." 09/26/2003 p.E15

Los Angeles Times
"...Directed with amiable mischievousness by Danny DeVito....DUPLEX, which has a glossy sheen, allows Stiller to expand his range as a leading man..." 09/26/2003 p.C8

USA Today
"...DUPLEX has its wacky, funny moments..." 09/26/2003 p.10E

Chicago Sun-Times
"...Essel's energy and timing are delightful. Stiller and Barrymore are fun, too..." 09/26/2003 p.34

Sight and Sound
"[T]here's enough here to remind us of De Vito's distinctive comic talents....[Stiller's] look of barely contained exasperation is one of the funniest things here." 07/01/2004 p.61-2