The Double (2013)

Genre


Director


Country


Cast

Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn, Noah Taylor, Yasmin Paige, Cathy Moriarty, Phyllis Somerville, James Fox, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Tony Rohr, Susan Blommaert, Jon Korkes, Tim Key, Lloyd Woolf, Lydia Ayoade, Sally Hawkins, J Mascis, Christopher Morris, Chris O'Dowd, Craig Roberts, Kierston Wareing, Jeanie Gold, Paddy Considine, Gemma Chan, Rade SErbedzija, Catherine Delaloye, Georgie-May Tearle

Storyline

Simon (Jesse Eisenberg) is a timid man, scratching out an isolated existence in an indifferent world. He is overlooked at work, scorned by his mother, and ignored by the woman of his dreams. He feels powerless to change any of these things. The arrival of a new co-worker, James, serves to upset the balance. James is both Simon's exact physical double and his opposite - confident, charismatic and good with women. To Simon's horror, James slowly starts taking over his life.

Opinion

If David Lynch and Terry Gilliam had a baby, and that baby made a film, this is exactly what it would look like.

Feeling like an avant-garde Fight Club, The Double is an interesting, very odd, dark, a little depressing, and slow psychological comedy thriller.

What is that great about this film? I don't know. As said before, this film is weird. It is hard to understand at first, then it feels a little confused, and that requires you to pay lot of attention to get it. Also, if you do pay attention, you still will be confused, feeling like there is some stronger message behind it, and still don't get it. Still there's something that fascinates me about it. I can't tell what.

It doesn't have much of a plot, nothing much happens in the film, it isn't much detailed, many things are not explained, still it somehow manages to be entertaining, engaging and deliver some thrills. The ending is a bit predictable though.

Richard Ayoade's art-house direction is the strongest element. Jumping from one image to the next really emphasised the disjointed character(s). Also, I enjoyed the sound of footsteps not stopping when people stopped walking. The cinematography was beautiful, and the musical score nailed it.

Jesse Eisenberg really carries the film well, keeping the viewer entertained, and delivers his best performance since The Social Network. The scene when he talks to himself are priceless. Mia Wasikowska also delivers a great performance as love interest Hannah. However, she didn't have much of a chemistry with the Eisenbergs.


Quotes

Simon: I don't know how to be myself. It's like I'm permanently outside myself. Like, like you could push your hands straight through me if you wanted to. And I can see the type of man I want to be versus the type of man I actually am and I know that I'm doing it but I'm incapable of what needs to be done. I'm like Pinocchio, a wooden boy. Not a real boy. And it kills me.

1 comment :

  1. Haha, that reference to Terry Gilliam and David lynch _/\_

    ReplyDelete