Can Julia rule the box-office again?

In the new Julia Roberts movie Duplicity, the actress' character faces a central dilemma: Should the star spy hang it up or jump back in the game for a big payday?

You'd be hard-pressed to find a better metaphor for the A-lister's don't-call-it-a-comeback career comeback. Those close to Roberts say the star was hardly thinking of it that way when she signed on to Duplicity several years ago. It was just a script she happened to like, and it came with the opportunity to work with writer-director Tony Gilroy.

But the thriller starring Roberts and Clive Owen essentially has turned into a comeback for the 41-year-old-actress, who has cut back her work schedule in recent years to concentrate on her family. Because of that curtailment in her once-busy schedule, observers say the performance of Roberts' latest film, a Universal release, will be closely watched this weekend.

Although she was praised for her role in 2007's political comedy-drama Charlie Wilson's War, for which she received above-the-title billing, that film drew midling box office and was seen only partly as a Roberts vehicle.

And Hollywood constantly demands of its top-paid talent: What did you do for me today? "If (Duplicity) does well, everyone will say, 'Julia's back,'" a top industryite mused. "If it doesn't, then I guess she'll be where everyone else is."

There will always be a reservoir of goodwill for Roberts. But it's no secret the sledding is a little tougher – and roles fewer – for actresses in their 40s. Still, it's worth remembering that this is an actress who once was America's sweetheart. Between 1997 and 2001, Roberts starred in four $100 million-grossing movies and won a best actress Academy Award. She was one of the few female stars who could compete with the big boys in both earning and drawing power.

And even though some of her appeal was based on romantic comedies, she also pulled off reinventions: Witness her Oscar-winning portrayal of a single-mother crusader in Erin Brockovich.

In more recent moves, Roberts joined the ensemble cast of Ocean's Eleven and its first sequel and was part of the voice cast of the animated feature Charlotte's Web. But anchoring a big-budget thriller like Duplicity represents a challenge she hasn't faced often in recent years. There is also a bit of a zeitgeist question. Roberts was at her most popular during the unworried times of the second Clinton administration and the years immediately afterward – a fitting moment for a star known for her restrained sweetness. The current decade has been dominated by a brasher, action-friendly breed of actress like Angelina Jolie.

Much of this film's box office will determine the types of roles Roberts is offered in the near future. Although she has a brief role in the upcoming family drama Fireflies in the Garden, she is not committed to star in anything that is about to go into production imminently. But her future – Roberts lately has shown a penchant for going her own way – will depend largely on what she wants to do. Some female stars, like Meryl Streep, have kept up a frenetic work pace. Others have complemented their acting work with producing – Drew Barrymore is a notable example – and Roberts could go that route.

Roberts' production company, Red Om, lately has become more active, recently signing up a petri-dish comedy, Jesus Henry Christ, and sealing a first-look deal with Indian giant Reliance Entertainment. Even in acting, her development projects suggest a new chapter. She's on board for a more traditional Roberts role, the female-oriented Eat, Pray, Love, based on the best-seller. But she also is signed on to play the conservationist Joan Root – a far cry from prancing around Notting Hill with Hugh Grant.


Clive Owen: more money to be made

After last month's The International, Clive Owen, pictured, is back in cinemas this week in the spy caper Duplicity, where he stars opposite Julia Roberts.

"That script had some of the best dialogue I've read in years," he says, green eyes sparkling.

"It's about a couple of corporate spies who are having an affair and decide to scam the companies they're working for but don't trust each other at the same time, so it's just right for great dialogue scenes with lots of wicked humour." Even more appealing for an actor, Owen was asked to choose his leading lady. "Writer Tony Gilroy sent me the script and said 'who would you have as your No1 choice to play that part?' We both said 'Julia Roberts is the best at this kind of stuff, it would be fantastic'. [When] Julia came to the script, rang me up and said 'I think we should do this one'. I was thrilled – there's just nobody better to do this kind of movie with."

The ruggedly good-looking actor has come a long way from his 'rough' UK childhood. His ascent to Hollywood hero has been a steady one – he started out in the theatre and then took on several TV roles before his breakout film role in 1998's Croupier. "It's the ones that you least expect," he says of the film's surprise success. "It was a tiny film that literally changed my whole career – that was the first thing that made any impact in America for me and it opened up a world that I'm still reaping the benefits of." He credits his success to a sea change in the movie industry, which allows English actors to play more than just "the baddie" in Hollywood.

"There's so much money to be made globally, not just in America, that the whole thing has opened up."

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