Duplex êêê ( PG-13 )

Reviewed By Cathy Edsey Collins

Starring: Ben Stiller, Drew Barrymore, Eileen Essel, Harvey Fierstein, Justin Theroux

Directed by Danny DeVito

Written by John Hamburg and Larry Doyle

Kill mom. Kill Barney. Danny DeVito, director of "Death to Smoochy" and "Throw Momma from the Train," gravitates toward dark comedies that squeeze their laughs from the notion of murdering the unmurderable. In "Duplex" DeVito expands his hit list to include a seemingly benign old lady, whose outrageous behavior drives landlords Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore to contemplate her demise.

Uncannily similar in tone to "Smoochy" and "Train," "Duplex" delivers hilarious moments and a stellar performance from the little-known Eileen Essel as the renter from hell. It is not surprising that co-writer Larry Doyle is a veteran of "The Simpsons" and "Beavis and Butt-head," and John Hamburg wrote for Ben Stiller's unique comedic style in "Zoolander" and "Meet the Parents." The hip humor derived from the hapless victim is a thematic vein that pulses through all of these efforts.

When Alex and Nancy find a gem of a duplex in Brooklyn, replete with vintage woodwork, leaded windows and a fabulous floor plan, the presence of Mrs. Connelly as an upstairs tenant seems like a minor negative. A 90-something with a disarming Irish brogue, Mrs. Connelly immediately charms the couple into buying the property. It becomes rapidly apparent, however, that the old lady is high maintenance. Alex, under the gun to finish his novel, is sucked into Mrs. Connelly's nightmarish traps, following her around for an entire day as he helps her complete errands. A laugh-out-loud sequence involving Mrs. Connelly's methodically counting blueberries and pennies is one of the film's funniest moments.

No matter how Alex and Nancy try to outdo Mrs. Connelly's annoyances, the "crafty old lady" manages to out-fox them. She has band practice in her apartment, her television blares late into the night and she bugs them with non-existent plumbing problems. In desperation, they try to orchestrate her "accidental" death. They rig the plumbing to cause her floor to cave in but she escapes the fall; they infect her with the flu but instead they become violently ill. Jobless and without funds, they are forced to sell the place to another unsuspecting couple only to be foiled again in the film's final minutes.

"Duplex" has the right idea by keeping the length of this primarily one-joke movie under 90 minutes. It never lags and is continually funny. Perhaps the major complaint is its abrupt ending, which comes suddenly and with very little explanation. Another problem is the miscasting of Drew Barrymore, an increasingly annoying actress who has a perpetual smirk on her face-as if she is always on the verge of laughter, never in control of her performance. Almost anyone else could have done a better job here.

Otherwise, "Duplex" is an entertaining piece of fluff, turning the tenant-from-hell theme on its ear with gut-busting results. Kudos to novice actress Eileen Essel who is superb as the old bitty. How nice to see a wrinkled broad get the lead role!