The Double (2014)

Before you get all pissy and shout at your computer screen that this movie is based on a Dostoevsky novella from the 1800s, let me be clear: I am not inferring that the story somehow ripped off other contemporary sources. I'm just saying that I felt distracted while viewing The Double by its many similarities to films I've seen and that have seeped into popular culture. Specifically, I kept thinking of Fight Club, The Tenant, Youth In Revolt, Enemy, Rear Window, Brazil, Eraserhead, Dead Ringers, and The Trial. Which leads me to the question: Do we need this movie? Even if it is a mostly faithful adaptation to a hitherto unadapted story by a world famous 19th century novelist, which recalls excellent films from the history of cinema, and which was beautifully, skilfully crafted and acted...do we really need another surreal-noir about the anonymity of corporate jobs? Or another movie with the doppelganger/alter ego paradigm, especially one which does nothing to reinvent or subvert the genre? It should be noted that I enjoyed watching this film for its set design and b/c of Wasikowska's enchanting ways. But not for its story. Which isn't to say I think the source material is weak, but that the elements which had been so intriguing when the novella was first published have now become tropes of this type of film. In short, The Double left me thinking of the films it resembled, already forgetting the doppelganger (could this have been the point?).

The movie, "The Double", was directed by Richard Ayoade and starred Jesse Eisenberg as the main protagonist. It is one of the two adaptations of the novel, "The Double" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It is a dark thriller with comedic aspects to it. It has action sequences and keeps the audience attached throughout the entire film. The story is about Simon James (played by Jesse Eisenberg) as a socially awkward office worker who doesn't know his place at work and in life. He has a crush on the girl (played by Mia Wasikowska) who works in the copier room and also lives across from him. One day in the office, his boss reveals that there is the new employee, and there is something strange about him. He looks exactly like Simon. The rest of the film is how Simon deals with this doppelganger and the journey ahead of him. The whole film for the audience is one big brain teaser. You think you know what is going on, but it also may not be. What gave this movie the best sense of tone, was the lighting. Whether it was the action sequences, or just sitting in the diner, the lighting really gave you the sense of mood and tone that really grabs the feeling of what is happening. The lighting along with the background and extras in the movie, made you wonder what time period it was. Either it was in the past where everything looked old, or it was an apocalyptical rebuild phase that had the technology, but not to its full extent. The lighting appears dull, but at the same time interesting and outgoing. The work that was but into this movie artistically, made the film better than without it. ~~SPOILERS AHEAD~~ The reason I am giving this film a 7 out of 10, is because of the main reason of why everyone is automatically in love with James as soon as he comes into the picture, everyone is automatically in love with him. I don't really understand the whole scenario of why that is happening. Simon looks exactly the same as him, but yet, Hannah doesn't acknowledge his existence and has a crush on James. It is OK for girls to get to know him and then fall in love with him, but right away while they already know Simon, just doesn't work for me with the plot. The best thing to note about this film is connecting with the characters. At times you can feel how Simon is when he is depressed and things don't work at with him, or when he is frustrated about how James is getting all the correct for what he did. The movie definitely has the different personalities to make up for the film. Each actor/actress portrays their character excellently. The movie's ending isn't the best, but also not the worst. It is a good film and I recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers.

I found this movie very fascinating, with all of its twists and turns I was engaged throughout. There were so many different things to look out for in this movie that it was hard to keep track of it all. With how the lighting was to the length of each shot to the sound in the background, it was a movie that was always visually and mentally interesting. Having a little bit of experience in the film making process I could enjoy watching the Double while also thinking about what everything I was watching meant. When we were first introduced to Simon James, he is in a train. There is no one else with him, I believe this is to symbolize how isolated he is all the time. Then when a man tells him to move he gives up easily and this is a part of Simon's character development throughout the movie. Throughout the movie the colors on screen have a greenish-yellow filter over them which shows just how grimy and unclean the world Simon lives in is. Also, during the whole movie, it's nighttime. Almost like they are inside throughout the whole thing. The creators of this film did that to show how closed in the world is and what little escape Simon has from the terrible life he's living. All of the previously stated observations made this movie really cool to watch. I liked picking out the little things that made this movie unique. When I was watching I liked how the colors and light were consistent to keep up the theme of the movie. All of the technical components had a big part in the story line and what the directors wanted us to think and feel from this movie.

'The Double' begins with an unanswered question, and the story unwinds so at the end you have the answer to the question. The story was linear. It follows Simon James, a quiet, awkward man who one day finds that he has a doppelganger, James Simon.Once he befriends his lookalike, things go downhill in all aspects of his life. Throughout "The Double", it is always nighttime. No scenes are shot during the day. I noticed there were not many sources of light in a lot of the scenes. Singular sources of lights were used often. The room would often be dark and be lit by dim lights. The colors were often warm and dark, there weren't any bright colors used. The lighting used also gave off an eerie feeling. Most of the scenes weren't full of people, and the lighting helped communicate that. The camera work was very straight forward sometimes, while other times it was very interesting. It ranged from very wide shots, to close ups, to interesting angles. This isn't a movie I would usually watch, but it was so different it drew me in. The awkward humor was funny and disturbing. Eisenberg, who portrays both of the main characters, did a terrific job. If this movie had anyone playing Simon and James, it wouldn't be half as great. After being skeptical while watching, by the end I decided it wasn't bad a film.