O Duplo

"Look at me, look at him. He stole my face."

I don't know why this film didn't engage me as it has most people, but there was just something about it and its characters that simply alienated me. The Double is Richard Ayoade's follow up to Submarine, and it feels heavily influenced by other works, especially from directors like David Lynch and Terry Gilliam. It is actually an adaptation of an 1800's novella written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Ayoade adapted it with a unique and clever style. There is a lot of dark humor involved and it also has a philosophical undertone. Despite being influenced by all these works, the film still feels unique and innovative, but it just didn't resonate with me. I'm just not a big fan of these surreal films that don't follow a classical narrative style, and The Double is just that, it plays out as a sort of nightmare for the main character played by Jesse Eisenberg. It's a case where I felt the film was more about style and aesthetics than substance and content. I prefer Villeneuve's Enemy, which is also a film dealing with a doppleganger premise, over this bleak film. There is no doubt that The Double is a creepy film, but one that didn't work for me and one I don't plan on revisiting because like the main character in The Double I felt completely alienated in this dystopian world.

The film introduces us to Simon (Jesse Eisenberg), a timid and shy young man who seems to live his life unperceived by everyone else. Simon always tries to please those around him and is very submissive despite everyone's indifference towards him. He's been working at a government agency for the past 7 years, and despite having some great ideas, no one ever pays attention to him. He is in love with one of his coworkers, Hannah (Mia Wasikowska), who he is too shy to speak to. He always looks for an excuse to visit her at the printing room, but he never finds the courage to ask her out. She is also kind of a lonely and strange girl herself, and Simon often finds himself watching her through a telescope from his apartment. Simon's life turns around when one day his boss, Mr. Papadopoulos (Wallace Shawn), introduces a new coworker named James who is physically identical to him, but with a complete opposite personality. Everyone likes James, and no one even seems to notice he looks exactly like Simon because they don't even conceive of his existence. James is so outgoing he has no trouble getting his boss's attention and seducing women. James befriends Simon but ends up using his ideas to impress Mr. Papadopoulos and seduce Hannah. All of Simon's dreams and hopes are shattered by James who is taking over everything he's passionate about, but was always afraid to take a stand for.

The premise seems interesting, but the way it was presented is what didn't work for me. Ayoade created such a unique dystopian and bleak world that it made me feel dull and alienated. I didn't really care for the characters in this film, despite the wonderful dual performance from Jesse Eisenberg. He once again proves he's a talented actor and carries this film. Mia Wasikowska is also wonderful and plays alongside Eisenberg really well. The performances were strong, I had no problem with them, but what I didn't enjoy were the characters they were playing and the way the film was narrated. The film tries to explore our senses, but all it did for me was make me feel indifferent towards it the same way Simon's coworkers felt towards him. It's a quirky film with a lot of quirky sounds and musical score that just didn't work for me the same way it did for most audiences.

I've now seen two films by the talented Ayodade – the other being his coming of age 'Submarine" - and had a very similar reaction though they are miles apart in style, story and theme.

First, this is a gifted film-maker, who doesn't want to play by the usual rules. Next, he knows how to get off to a great start, build a fascinating world, get you involved with his people, but third, he doesn't quite find ways to make his third acts pay off as interestingly (or powerfully or emotionally) as the first two-thirds of the film promise. In both films the focus drifts to less interesting elements or variations on the stories he's telling.

And last, he needs to lighten up on the too-obvious 'homage's to his cinematic touchstones. In "Submarine" it was (among others) Wes Anderson and "Rushmore". Here the overbearing influences (there are many) are led by Terry Gilliam's "Brazil". There were a large number of design and character choices – while effective - that came close enough that I couldn't help but sit there making comparisons ('Hey, there's Wallace Shawn doing Ian Holm'). And it starts to approach that fine line between inspiration and plagiarism.

That said, there's a lot to like here. The photography is often gorgeous. Jessie Eisenberg does a terrific job in a tough double role – a meek office worker who is suddenly faced with another employee who looks exactly like him. But the new guy has a brash, self-confident personality, everyone loves him, and no one else seems to notice the two are physically exactly alike, right down to their clothes.

This raises interesting questions about personality, perception and reality. Is "James Simon" (the cool one) merely a psychological projection of the nerd, "Simon James"? But if that's the case, why does everyone else interact with both, together and separately? Is it that Simon is the only one who thinks they look alike? i.e. is Simon projecting himself onto someone who – if we saw objectively – wouldn't even really look like him? Well, that would be an interesting idea, and a promising road for the film to explore, and it hints heavily at that possibility, only to simply drop and contradict it.

And that's part of why this is two-thirds of a great film, not a whole one. In the end things play out in a way that has been foreshadowed from early on, and suddenly the film feels less deep, less challenging, more an exercise in cinematic playfulness than an exploration of deeper themes both personal and societal. The head trip becomes too literal, the conclusions too simple for the complex surreal reality we've come to accept

On the plus side, the effects are terrific, and many of the best scenes in the film are Eisenberg talking to himself in one shot. (A hell of an acting challenge as well). And the film has a dark sense of humor that keeps the Kafkaesque world and 'big themes' from becoming ponderous, (Again, I just wish I had less often chuckled, but then thought 'hey, that just like the scene in 'Barton Fink…', or whatever).

In any case I look forward to whatever Ayoade does next, but I hope he will find a way to finish as strong as he starts, and to be brave enough to trust his own very good sense of style, and not borrow quite so much from others.

Here's the basic gist- this film is pretty ambitious on a visual level. It's reminiscent of the type of film Lynch would have made in his early days (yes, I got memories of Eraserhead for whatever reason). On a storyline-level, it's more straightforward. You can pretty much guess where the narrative is going and the strings it's going to pull. The film still works however, largely because of its cast. Jesse Eisenberg's performance here stands alongside his Oscar-nominated turn in The Social Network as the best acting he's ever given. It's truly superb work. Wasikowska is also quite effective. The score is effective and sort of haunting. Overall, I wish I'd liked it more, but it's definitely recommended.

The Double is based on a story by the Russian writer, Dostoyevsky. And, I'll be blunt here—he is NOT for everyone! In fact, his stories are really not going to generate a lot of revenue when they are made into films because they are so strange and non-cinematic. Obviously the filmmakers really must have wanted to make this and they knew they'd never get rich off this one! This must be the reason Jesse Eisenberg decided to do this 'little' film. Interestingly, one of the executive producers* is Michael Caine—so he, too, must have really liked the material and wasn't too concerned about raking in the cash! As for the director, Richard Ayoade, he isn't that experienced with full-length films but certainly is someone to watch, as he really made the most of this strange tale by infusing it with some incredibly odd but satisfying touches—such as, for no reason I could discern, infusing the film with Japanese music! He also has a Fellini sort of love of strange supporting characters—all with very odd faces. It's all very weird…but it works! In addition, Ayoade wrote the screenplay based on the Dostoyevsky novel.

The story is about as bizarre as any I've seen lately. Simon (Eisenberg) is a very emotionally constricted and lonely young man. No one seems to notice him or care about him as he plods away at his job making no particular mark. In fact, he's literally a real 'nothing' as soon his work identification badge stops working and he is repeatedly hassled by the strange security guard who acts like he's never seen Simon before—though he's worked at the company for years. Then, out of the blue, a new employee comes to work—and he is the exact double for Simon. James (also Eisenberg) looks like Simon but no one seems to think this is unusual. What is really strange is that everyone seems to naturally love James and he's much the opposite of his lookalike. He's confident, aggressive and Simon eventually learns that he's also a bit of a user. While they are friends at first and James seems to be trying to help Simon, soon you see that James is trying to take over Simon's life…and lonely Simon is becoming more and more alienated and depressed. What is poor Simon to do?

In many ways, this story looks like it was infused with liberal doses of the movies 1984 as well as Brazil. While the film lacks the huge budget of Brazil, the dystopian look to this place gives it an otherworldly feel that seems oppressive, strange and gloomy. It also has an odd sense of humor—though it certainly is not a comedy. This actually works well with the story. But what is it all about? THAT is the thing about The Double—no one is exactly sure what it all means. Since the story was written long ago folks have been debating this. Is this simply Simon's descent into madness? Are there literally two of him, a yin and a yang? Or, is there some other meaning? Some will like the film's vagueness—others will hate that they aren't being spoon-fed the answers. The bottom line is that the story is difficult, strange and confusing— and these are NOT qualities you find in a Hollywood picture. As for me, I liked it and appreciated that the filmmakers didn't try to make a film like any other. And, the strangeness certainly wasn't a bad thing. Would I like more films like this? Perhaps I might—but not in large quantities. But, as a change of pace, I really enjoyed the film. Whether or not you'll enjoy this strange film, I cannot say—it all depends on your tolerance for the surreal.

*I am confused. How can a film have four executive producers? Usually, there is one producer in charge (the executive producer) and the others are simply called producers.

What happens if you are a genuinely nice person? Willing to go the extra mile for others, always submissive to the wishes of your family and are generally a nice guy. You are taken for granted and treated like dirt. By your folks, colleagues and even the girl you so fancy treats you as a nonexistent entity.

As if this was not discouraging enough, a new colleague joins who is identical to you in appearance but has the completely opposite personality.

A smart telling of the Dostoevsky novel about a person who has the capacity to tolerate everything but his own double whose existence causes him a dilemma: continue to silently tolerate everything or change and adapt.

Perhaps not the easiest of movies to watch but its quirky wit and creative cinematography will win you over.