The Double (2014)
Directed by: Richard Ayoade
Premise: Based on the novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. A lonely man (Jesse Eisenberg) who performs a nondescript job at an unspecified corporation has his life turned upside down when another man who looks exactly like him but with the opposite personality is hired and begins to take advantage of their identical looks.
What Works: Adapting the work of
Fyodor Dostoyevsky to the screen is a difficult proposition because the
author’s work is so dense and cerebral but writer and director Richard
Ayoade and co-writer Avi Korine do an impressive job interpreting the
material and translating it to the screen. The filmmakers find ways to
literalize the ideas of the source text and make them cinematic. The Double
has a great look. The sets have a dingy, industrial style and the
environments and props feature analog technology. That choice is a
smart one because it gives the film a timeless look and the
laboriousness and circuitous nature of this technology emphasizes the
theme of the story. Movies like The Double, which lampoon hierarchy and complex social systems, are inherently absurd and although The Double is not really a comedy the movie is frequently very funny in dark and bizarre ways, much the same way as Terry Gilliam’s Brazil.
The picture has a lot of gags that capitalize on redundancy and
minimize the protagonist against an indecipherably complex system.
Aside from its filmmaking craft, The Double succeeds in large
part because of the dual performances by Jesse Eisenberg and there is a
certain brilliance to casting him in these parts. In most of his
roles, Jesse Eisenberg typically plays intelligent characters who are
the smartest men in the room but they are held back from greatness by
their own social ineptitude. Eisenberg’s primary role in The Double
fits that bill. As Simon he is in typical Eisenberg-mode, conveying
intelligence, speaking with his characteristically rapid delivery, and
slouching through his scenes with shifty posture. Heady characters are
not typically endearing to audiences but Eisenberg’s success as an
actor has been to combine his cerebral qualities with vulnerability; in
fact, the intelligence of Eisenberg’s characters is as much an asset as
it is a weakness and that creates empathy with the audience. This is
where the stroke of genius in casting Eisenberg is revealed. The shy
Simon, who possesses the qualities that typically work for Eisenberg as
an actor, is victimized by James, also played by Eisenberg, but with
confidence taking the place of social ineptitude. Put simply, The Double presents Jesse Eisenberg being outsmarted by Jesse Eisenberg and that makes for very compelling viewing.
What Doesn’t: The premise of The Double is a novel one; this isn’t intended to be taken literally. For that reason, the appeal of The Double
is likely to be limited in much the same way that the appeal of
Dostoyevsky’s literature is also limited. However, even given the cult
appeal of this film, The Double does degrade over the course
of its running time because the filmmakers lose their grip on the
narrative. The first half of the picture is extremely tight and focused
but as James takes over Peter’s life the emphasis shifts from Peter’s
role in the company and toward their competition over a female coworker
(Mia Wasikowska). The love triangle is not as compelling as the
workplace drama and the conclusions of these scenes don’t pay off as
well.
Bottom Line: Although its second half isn’t as strong, The Double is a very good picture. Even if it isn’t quite at the level of Brazil or Eraserhead, the moviemakers deal with complex ideas and absurd situations with a great deal of skill while retaining the human qualities that a lot of similar films lack. The movie might not be to every viewer’s taste but The Double could very well become a cult classic.
Episode: #491 (May 18, 2014)