The Double is the
new film from Richard Ayoade – perhaps best known for his role in the TV series
The I.T. Crowd – who showed great
promise with his directorial debut Submarine
in 2010, and focuses on office worker Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg), a loner
who goes almost entirely un-noticed by everyone around him, including a
co-worker he steals furtive glances at on a train (Mia Wasikowska). Suddenly, a
complete doppelganger of him shows up at work, named James Simon, who seems to
not only be noticed by everyone but appreciated and admired by all.
The film is – above the many things it has to offer – a
great study in surrealism. Whereas Submarine
was a very intimate, well-observed story of young romance, The Double is a dark, bizarre story that
revels in the shadows. The production design feels like a 1950’s Englishman’s
idea of the future: computers are huge and only process one function; the
architecture is a melange of stark concrete and drab paint that is greatly accentuated
by the strict cinematography that feels like a Wes Anderson film by way of
Wally Pfister.
The problem with any film including doppelgangers, clones
and alternate personalities is that it has to stop itself turning into Fight Club before the end, and The Double manages to pull it off before
the words ‘Tyler Durden’ can finish forming in your head. Eisenberg, whilst
providing his usual mumble-core performance (which could seem repetitive but
always seems fitting to the roles he chooses) manages to handle both sides of
the coin appropriately, making each version of the character a contrast of the
other whilst retaining a level of similarity that still keeps the ‘is he just
imagining this?’ question fresh in the viewers’ mind.
The rather spontaneously energetic soundtrack is a lovely
fit, providing a well-played offset to the darkness on screen and echoing the troubled
and frantic thought process of Simon as the story progresses, and the cameos
from Ayoades’ previous collaborations placed here and there throughout the film
are well-played (including an all too brief appearance from Chris O’Dowd). The
film is also very well-paced up until the final fifteen minutes or so, when the
story seems to drop its noir-ish feel in favour of rushing towards its conclusion.
That, along with Mia Wasikowska’s accent, which seems to
traverse half the globe (I realise the film is set in a surreal world but come
on, there’s a limit) and the slightly unresolved ending scene that is sprinted
through far too quickly are the few flaws that pepper The Double, an otherwise intriguing and stylish noir comedy that
shows once again that Ayoade is a growing force to be reckoned with within
British film.
4 Stars
4 Stars
