Michael Keaton has been having a bit of a renaissance the last few years, with acclaimed work in Birdman, Spotlight, and Spiderman: Homecoming, but he has always been one of our best actors. Never is that more obvious than in his multiple performances in the Harold Ramis comedy Multiplicity. In it, Keaton stars as Doug, an overworked construction foreman who just wants to spend more time with his wife and kids. One day he's working on a laboratory remodel project and the lead scientist pulls him aside to say that he could clone Doug, that clone could take over the work stuff and leave Doug with more time to his family. Of course, Doug obliges and the results come out wonderfully.
Later, Doug finds himself overrun with things to do at home, having no time for himself, and clones himself again so that that Doug (#3) can take care of the home stuff and Doug #1 can have some time to himself for once. It isn't long before the clones decide they want some freedom of their own, and while Doug is away they clone #2, to make Doug #4. The three clones live in the abandoned apartment above Doug's garage and naturally hijinks ensue. Keaton gradually increases the amount of over-the-top he's willing to go to for each character, 2 more than 1, 3 more than 2, and finally the wonderful buffoonery of #4, which is the best thing in the movie. I still sometimes think "I like pizza, I LIKE it!" or "She touched my peppy, Steve." even though it had been many years since I'd seen the movie until recently.
Keaton is brilliant in different ways with each Doug. #1 is just a great smart everyman, something that Keaton is usually too manic to play, but holds the center of this movie so well with this performance. #2 accentuates Doug's masculine side, and so takes to the construction work easily and happily. However, he also becomes lonely, which isn't quite solved by #3 who is an exaggeration of Doug's feminine side, happy to do crafty projects around the house, as well as cooking and cleaning. #4, the most fun of the bunch, is described as like how if you make a copy of a copy of a piece of paper, it isn't quite right. #4 refers to Doug as Steve, and has to have his razors taken away for fear of accidentally hurting himself ("yeah, me and 2 just shave him while he sleeps" 3 says).
The movie isn't as good as Keaton is, the pace is too slow, the hijinks maybe not wacky enough, it doesn't capture the philosophical weight of the situation that it could comment on. The special effects multiplying Keaton are generally very obvious, and honestly the movie is just too long and doesn't seem to have enough on its mind for it to keep our interest. It's no Groundhog Day, I should say, Ramis's high point as a filmmaker, that's for sure. But it's really a great bunch of work from Keaton. It's up there with Beetlejuice as his best work as an actor.
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