Richard Ayoade’s The Double, based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novella, is a surreal and thought provoking film centred around identity, intimidation and feeling invisible.
The Double is Ayoade’s second film, following the dark coming of age comedy Submarine, and can definitely be considered a success.
Sharp, off the wall, with streaks of dead-pan humour, you can really feel the IT crowd actors presence throughout.
Set in a dank, industrial world, the film follows Simon James (Jessie Eisenberg), a downtrodden shy guy with a suit that’s too big and a voice that’s too small.
Trapped in a job where he is undervalued, a mother-son bond where he is unappreciated and a crush where he goes largely unnoticed, things do not look good for Simon.
But things get flipped on their head when, after witnessing a suicide, someone familiar turns up at Simon’s place of work.
James Simon (also Jessie Eisenberg) is physically identical to James and is everything Simon isn’t; confident and funny yet cruel and controlling.
Unfortunately for Simon, he seems to be the only one to notice they are doppelgangers.
As James encroaches on the girl Simon is besotted with and slowly starts to take over his existence, things get pretty ugly.
Jessie plays both protagonists perfectly, portraying a powerless introvert on the outside looking in just as seamlessly as he does the charismatic manipulator.
Both characters were fully realised and believable, however bizarre the plot.
Eisenberg brought an elegance to the movie and this complex story was in good hands.
Simon and James evoke a spectrum of emotions; this is because although separate, the two characters encompass a range of behaviours that all can relate to.
Stylistically, this film delivered as it was intriguing, set in a disturbing, dystopian place that wasn’t past present or future.
Erik Wilson’s cinematography reflected the crumbling Orwellian city with ease through the lack of natural light and muted greens, browns and greys.
Mia Wasikowska put in a striking performance as the leading lady Hannah.
Fragile yet defiant, unobtainable but relatable, she brought a rawness to the character, emotion radiated through her eyes and her face has a great way of saying the unsaid.
Ayoade captured the loneliness of Hannah perfectly and she brought an injection of colour into the dreary setting the characters inhabit.
Cameos from Cathy Moriarty, Wallace Shawn, Paddy Considine and Chris Morris were also a welcome surprise that gave the feature a comic richness.
The sound in the film is very well executed and the nervy score from Andrew Hewitt really sets the tone for the film.
The industrial humming and whirring are present throughout and represent Simon’s anxious brain and his cramped wallflower existence.
The menacing horns in times of angst bring scenes beautifully to a climax as well as bringing them to life.
On the other end of the spectrum, the string sections in the films more poignant moments are a joy.
Tense, stylish, and visually arresting, this is a film with a story so intriguing you’ll want to watch it twice.
Image courtesy of Toronto Film Festival, via YouTube, with thanks
