TIFF Movie Review – The Double (2013)

A timid man meets his charismatic and confident physical double who starts taking over his life.

While sitting in a subway car Simon (Jesse Eisenberg) is told to move by passenger despite the rest of the seats being empty; this not an isolated incident as the security guard at work continuously gives him a hard time, his access card never gets fixed, and the supervisor thinks he is worthless.  The timid soul watches via a telescope the object of his affections Hannah (Mia Wasikowska) who happens to be a co-worker living in an apartment directly across from him.

When Simon is refused admittance to a staff party where he had made plans to meet up with Hannah, he begins to see his doppelganger who goes by the name of James.  James is the exact opposite of Simon in regards to personality as he is cunning and charismatic.  The situation spins out of control as James wins the heart of Hannah and blackmails Simon into doing all of his work for him.  Simon resorts to extreme measures to rectify the situation.

Based on the famous novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Double is a combination of Being John Malkovich (1999), Rear Window (1954), Dark City (1998), and The Apartment (1960).  No daylight exists in a world filled with shadows and constrictive rooms and corridors.  Surrealism reigns supreme in the production and shot design thereby heightening the sense of psychological turmoil.  A cool shot involves a punch having a dual effect.  Plot reversals are effectively used.  A potential suicide is prevented by the individual witnessing another attempting to do the same thing.  The act of kindness is not appreciated but the attitude is changed when items are discovered within a trench coat lent by the unwanted saviour.

Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me) is certainly making a career out of playing socially awkward men and does it well; the same case applies to Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride) who consistently portrays obnoxious and quirky characters.  The performer placed in a different situation is Mia Wasikowska (Stoker) who has a lot more diverse roles on her resume.  Full credit goes to Eisenberg for handling dual parts but somehow it does not seem that much of a stretch for him, whereas his co-star Wasikowska furthers her reputation for versatility.