The Double – Film Review
Director: Richard Ayoade
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska and Chris O’ Dowd
Release Date: Apr 4
Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg), an introverted office worker, finds his already fragile existence threatened when the newly recruited James Simon (also Jesse Eisenberg), starts to take over his life, while surrounding colleagues don’t seem to notice that he and James are exactly identical.
Also starring Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn and a whole rake of well known actors, mostly (but not all) English comedic ones, The Double is an adaptation of the Fyodor Dostoevsky novella, written by Avi Korine and Richard Ayoade and directed by Richard Ayoade.
Having not seen Ayoade’s first film Submarine, I can’t make a comparison with this, his second, however it isn’t relevant. The truth is, The Double is a smart, well paced and quite atmospheric watch. The film doesn’t really have a specific place in time which assists in its existential and dreamlike personality.
The aesthetic is actually quite similar to the short lived, Ayoade directed comedy series, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace which employed a look of something from the late 70s/early 80s. While Darkplace initially played things up for laughs, The Double uses the aesthetic more lightly and employs a more chilling and claustrophobic tone that at some points feels quite nightmarish.
Although, the film is not without its humourous elements. In fact the film is being described as a comedy, but for a comedy it’s quite bleak and serious.
Jesse Eisenberg carries the film expertly, performing the dual roles with perfect distinction, making both Simon James and James Simon similar enough for the surreal overtones to work but also different enough that we are never at any point confused as to who is who.
Much like Nicolas Cage’s double performance in Adaptation, both Eisenbergs in the film have no physical distinctions from one another (and often are even dressed the same), yet their tone and body language immediately tells us everything. This clarity can also be attributed to the direction.
The surrounding cast work into the film excellently as well. Mia Wasikowska performs very well as the love interest who is desirable but also slightly homely (and that’s not a comment on her looks, but her modesty as an actress).
There are plenty of familiar faces, mostly from English film and television, but the few in particularly that stand out would be Wallace Shawn, Yasmin Paige, Noah Taylor, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Paddy Considine’s somewhat minimal but memorable contribution to the film. There’s nothing negative to be said about anyone not mentioned however and many are such small appearances they’re practically cameos.
One issue with The Double is its structure. The film is very offbeat and for much of the film this is a good thing, but there is a sense of meandering, mostly in the second half.
Fortunately by that point, all the important stuff has been established but any new information given to the audience feels thrown in a little late. And while its minimal use of sets does create a great sense of claustrophobia, the film isn’t quite as immersive as it could have been (but is still plenty immersive).
This detail on its set design is probably to do with the film’s budget but there are also elements that are perfectly competent and confidently displayed, but also feel a little light. The two things that really butt heads in this area is that the film at some points is kind of cartoonish, but this is juxtaposed with a bleak industrial style but while these two things don’t merge perfectly, they still merge very well.
So, The Double is well paced and atmospheric film that leaves a good impression. Sometimes it’s too funny to be serious and other times too serious to be funny but overall, it’s still an engrossing and clever film proving its director Richard Ayoade, to be a strong talent worthy of the big screen.
Score: 4/5
Written by Sèamus Hanly
