In ‘Meet The Parents,’ Ben Stiller got huge laughs facing off with an overprotective dad. ‘Duplex,’ finds Stiller taking on an equally challenging opponent – a frail, elderly woman.

‘Duplex’ arrives as the latest comedy to pit likable leads against monstrous acquaintances with ensuing hijinks. The neighbor-from-hell story line is one that has been used countless times. ‘Duplex’ tries its best to shake up the formula, but every pratfall comes off even more predictable than the one before. Only sharp comedic performances from Stiller and newcomer Eileen Essel keep ‘Duplex’ from imploding.

Stiller plays Alex Rose, a novelist married to graphic designer Nancy (Drew Barrymore). A young couple on their way up in the world, the pair decides to move from their cramped Manhattan apartment into a spacious, and surprisingly affordable, duplex in Brooklyn. Their happiness with the new home comes crashing down around them soon enough thanks to 90-something tenant Mrs. Connelly (Essel). A quirky old lady who lives for $88 a month in the top-floor apartment, Mrs. Connelly’s interference soon turns Alex and Nancy’s picture-perfect life into a living nightmare. Driven to their wits’ end, the two find themselves considering one final option: murder.

Not that anyone could blame them. The script, written by Larry Doyle (‘The Simpsons’) and John Hamburg (‘Meet The Parents’), depicts Mrs. Connelly as a wretched old woman. She blasts her television set in the middle of the night, constantly invites her church orchestra over for rehearsals and incessantly pesters Alex and Nancy with inane requests. This clichd part comes alive thanks to Essel’s perfect portrayal. She utilizes her frail appearance and throaty, accented voice to flesh out the character. Essel shifts gears from kindly grandmother to manipulative monster – and back again – with ease. Her performance allows the audience to sympathize with Alex and Nancy and cheer them along as they plot to murder the old bag.

Stiller, meanwhile, continues to build up his reputation as one of the great comedic actors of his generation. He seems comfortable playing accident-prone characters like Alex while other big-name funnymen have detoured into more serious roles. Stiller throws his entire body into his acting, making even the lamest of jokes that much funnier. In one scene, having installed a Clapper onto Mrs. Connelly’s television so he can turn it off, Alex is horrified to find that it isn’t working. Jumping up and down on the bed, his face twisted in anger with arms flailing above his head, Stiller scores laughs where a lesser performer would have failed. This role may echo his previous work, but it allows Stiller to do what he does best.

Stiller and Essel’s co-stars, however, fare poorly. Barrymore seems out of place in a comedy like ‘Duplex.’ She lacks the comedic chops to keep pace with the hyper and hilarious Stiller throughout the film – although she does improve as her character’s thoughts turn toward murder. Also, the romantic pairing of Barrymore and Stiller feels forced. This diminishes the audience’s ability to relate to the tortured couple. Meanwhile, comedians Wallace Shawn, Harvey Fierstein and Maya Rudolph are wasted in small roles that prevent them from seeking their own laughs.

Directed by Danny DeVito, ‘Duplex’ will have you laughing, despite yourself, at some of the ridiculous situations Alex and Nancy stumble into. In one scene, Nancy forces Alex to give the old woman CPR after she chokes on a chocolate. In another, Nancy gags after chowing down on a raisin covered in Lysol. DeVito almost spoils these laughs by blatantly setting up the jokes. The advance warning of the pratfalls leaves the audience unsurprised by the comedic carnage that follows.

‘Duplex,’ while built on a shaky storyline, succeeds as a throwaway comedy thanks to the winning performances of Stiller and Essel. Funnier than it should be thanks to these two performers, ‘Duplex’ provides some good laughs, but nothing to write home about.

Christopher Reilly is a senior magazine major. His reviews appear Fridays in the Daily Orange. E-mail him at cgreilly@syr.edu.

Published on September 25, 2003 at 12:00 pm