The Double ** (2013, Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, James Fox, Sally Hawkins, Paddy Considine, Wallace Shawn, Cathy Moriarty, Chris O’Dowd, Rade Serbedzija, Noah Taylor) – Film Review

Jesse Eisenberg stars as timid Simon, a likeable loser enduring an isolated existence in an indifferent world. Simple Simon is an office drone totally overlooked at work, scorned by his mother and ignored by the young woman of his dreams, Hannah (Mia Wasikowska).

Jesse Eisenberg also stars as Simon’s new co-worker James, his exact physical double but his complete character opposite. He’s cocky, confident, charismatic and charming and a babe magnet.

James slowly starts taking over Simon’s life, driving him to the brink of insanity.

Co-writer/director Richard Ayoade (Submarine) bases his screenplay on a novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It’s alright as far as it goes, but this study in paranoia and alienation has a familiar, dated feel, conjuring up memories of better stories from Kafka and Orwell, and much better movies from Terry Gilliam (especially Brazil of course), Orson Welles and David Lynch. These are hard acts to follow, and Ayoade follows them at his peril, a long way behind.

Wasikowska has a thankless role as the obscure object of desire. James Fox, Sally Hawkins, Paddy Considine, Wallace Shawn, Cathy Moriarty, Chris O’Dowd, Rade Serbedzija and Noah Taylor all try to give smart performances, and some of them succeed. But it is really all Eisenberg’s show, and he is a very appealing, thoroughly likeable actor. But, even though he does both roles very nicely indeed, it isn’t quite enough to make the rather fragile, vaguely arty movie mesmerising.

Alas The Double is very murky looking and gloomy, and that is how it has to be. But it isn’t very entertaining or enlightening. It is advertised as a comedy, but it isn’t funny at all. Much better then to appreciate it as a psycho-drama.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Movie Review

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