Dead Ringers

Plot synopsis:
The movie opens in Toronto, 1954 with Elliot and Beverly Mantle (Jonathan and Nicholas Haley) as young boys, discussing sex and trying to learn about the female form. Flash forward to the brothers (Jeremy Irons) at Cambridge, Massachusettes in 1967, working in a medical lab and receiving acclaim for inventing a retractor. We see that they seem to share each other's experiences.Flash forward another 21 years back to Toronto the present day, and Mantle is examining a movie-star patient, Claire (Genevieve Bujold). She has three openings in her uterus, and it facinates him. The brothers switch appointments regularly, and we see that Elliot is more aggressive and outgoing than Beverly. Elliot encourages Beverly to visit Claire, who obviously had a tryst with Elliot the previous night. Beverly is less willing to be wild, but Elliot reminds him that they always share women.Beverly falls in love with Claire, and refuses to share his experience with Elliot. Tension between the brothers begins to build. Beverly lets slip to Claire that he has a brother, and gets upset when she teases him. She tells him she thinks he's schizophrenic.Claire has lunch with Laura (Shirley Douglas), who tells her Beverly and Elliot are twins. Claire realizes she doesn't know who she's sleeping with. When she tells Elliot she knows, he gets agitated, but agrees to allow her to meet both of them. She tells them she knows what they are doing and storms off. Elliot is amused, but Beverly is saddened.At another awards ceremony, Beverly arrives, drunk, and starts ranting about Elliot taking credit for his work. They reconcile, but Elliot has been offered a job, and Beverly is now taking uppers. Beverly goes to see Claire and apologizes. After sex, he has nightmares about Claire trying to separate him from Elliot. Drug use continues.Elliot begins his new glamourous work, and has sex with identical twin protitutes, telling them to call him by both his name and his brother's. He shows up at Claire's movie set and tries to dissuade her from seeing Beverly. She tells him he's very different from Beverly, and refuses to sleep with him.Claire leaves town for contract negotiations, and Beverly continues to take drugs. He calls Claire's hotel and thinks the man (her secretary) who answers is her lover. He tells him of her "mutation". Beverly goes to see Elliot and tells him she's having an affair.Beverly's work begins to suffer, and he goes to a metalsmith (Stephen Lack) to redesign his medical tools to deal with the "mutations" he is trying to treat. Elliot is now taking more drugs, and the practice is suffering. His secretary quits. He freaks out during an operation while trying to use the new tools.Elliot tries to cover up. The board doesn't buy it, and the brothers are forced to close their practice.Elliot continues to date, and gets Beverly to dance with his girlfriend Cary (Heidi Von Palleske). He joins in, and the three of them dance intimately. When Beverly realizes they are trying to seduce him, he breaks away but collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Elliot promises to detox Beverly, so no one will know about the drugs. Beverly is locked in the clinic to dry out.Elliot's drug use is increasing. Cary tries to tell him he is becoming like Beverly, but Elliot explains that he wants to get "synchronized" with Beverly.Claire gets back and straightens out the mix-up with her secretary, then tells Beverly to come see her. He has trouble getting out of the locked clinic, but is desperate to see her. On the way, after stopping to be sick on the street, he notices an art exhibit showing the tools he had the metalsmith make. He finally arrives at Claire's and tries to get her to fill a prescription. She doesn't, and Beverly exhibits more confusion. When he returns to the clinic, he finds the office trashed, and Elliot in the shower, wasted.The brothers agree to try and kick the habit, and Elliot begins to sound like a child. In a drug-induced haze, Beverly operates on his brother, using the customized tools he designed, trying to separate them as siamese twins.When Beverly awakes, he sees his brother - disemboweled. He packs a bag, gets cleaned up, and leaves, making a phone call to Claire, but when she asks who is calling, he hangs up on her. In a daze, he wanders back upstairs, and collapses, intertwined with his brother.The end.

Tags: neo noir, murder, cult, psychedelic, tragedy, sadist

Review:
As Bev confronts the idea of them being separate for the first time ever, he starts to fall apart mentally and, when Elliot tries to reach out and help him he too is drawn into confusion over identity and an inability to find where one of them stops and the other starts.Being a Cronenberg film I knew to expect body horror and, shall I say, an 'unusual' theme and in many ways the film delivered in spades but in a much more cerebral fashion.
Cronenberg appears to be as fascinated as me by the characters and he directs with a cold eye, letting the creepy atmosphere come from not only the story but every shot, every set and every performance; not only this but this is one of his more accessible films without losing much of what makes Cronenberg Cronenberg.Of course a massive part of the film working is two perfect performances from Jeremy Irons, who I have not seen better in any other films.
Instead the film is pretty much dominated by two people  and they are both Jeremy Irons, producing two great performances that were vital for the film to work.Overall this may be a little too weird for some viewers but many more will find it to be one of their favourite Cronenberg films on the basis that it has the qualities that makes him him but is also a lot more accessible as well.
The body horror is there in the background but it is the psychological scarring and confusion that is of much more interest; the script is great even if the plot goes to the usual Cronenberg excesses but it is two perfect performances by Irons that makes it all come together in a compelling and interesting film..
The Mantles experiment with sex, drugs and personal identity, to the detriment of their practice, and ultimately of their psychological health.This is a David Cronenberg film, so we are in the familiar realm of horror, mind games and perverted science.
To date, Cronenberg's deepest film.Jeremy Irons summons a performance of profound complexity, to pull off a double-act so credible that your feelings are divided, twin egg-like, between two characters.
Bujold plays a starlet who comes between two identical twins (Irons in his two best screen performances!) and whilst the tale begins playfully enough we are given enough signals to suggest all will not be well, although we like all three leads do hope so.
An actor capable of very good performances even in bad films, like The Man in the Iron Mask, he delivers here one of the greatest performances of all time, playing two extremely complex characters without being over-the-top or inexpressive in any moment, confusing us of which is Bev and which is Elly when he is supposed to, and making clear who is he playing in the right moment.
After a very successful career exploring the physical horrors in a series of excellent films (that culminates in the awesome remake of "The Fly"), Canadian director David Cronenberg made another step up in the development of his personal style of film-making, by moving to the field of psychology with a suspense/thriller that while less visceral and graphic than his previous films, it's no less horrific and captivating: "Dead Ringers".
Just as "The Fly" can be seen as the grandiose closure of an era, "Dead Ringers" is the glorious beginning of a new stage.Beverly and Elliot Mantle (both played by Jeremy Irons) are identical twins that from birth have been so close.
As the tag-line reads, "Separation Can Be A Terrifying Thing".Loosely based on Bari Wood and Jack Geasland's book "Twins" (which was also loosely based on a strange, real-life case), the plot at first sounds like something out of a typical made for TV drama; however, "Dead Ringers" is still a Cronenberg film and so it is still full of the themes that the famed director loves.
The Mantle brothers are physically two men, but psychologically they work as one, and the "invasion" that Claire means in their life is like a viral infection that begins to corrode the brothers from the inside.With a perfectly developed script, Cronenberg details the effects of this "infection" with surgical precision, and while the film is not as violently graphic as his previous efforts, it is by no means less disturbing.
Her performance is very natural and fresh, showing truly a believable chemistry with Irons as her character enters the private world of the Mantle brothers.Personally, I think "Dead Ringers" is a flawless job by an artist reaching maturity; however, I can understand why some would have troubles with it.
The film is quite puzzling on first inspection, and I did have a hard time settling into the mentality that would let me enjoy it, but once I did, I was thoroughly impressed--whether playing the smarmy Elliott or the sensitive Beverly Mantle, Jeremy Irons gives a wonderfully nuanced performance as identical twin gynecologists (the subtleties of difference in personality command multiple viewings to register).
Anchored by Irons' spectacular dual performance, "Dead Ringers" is a film that shows a lot of maturity on Cronenberg's part, and though it might be hard to call it 'entertaining,' it does contain harsh imagery with an emotional pulse that will not be easily forgotten.7/10.
Dead Ringers wasn't necessarily a very pleasant film experience, but it's one that did shake me to the core as I watched it, in a way that is slightly comparable to The Fly. As an auteur, which could likely be applied to David Cronenberg, he keeps pressing on with many themes that he's been working through in the bulk of his career- and if not outright themes, general ideas that can draw out the darkest and saddest drama there is in the minds of men.
Duality, to be sure, and also the complications that arise through forms of fetishism, or rather a kind of strange obsession with things involving the body, touching, feeling, close to one another in ways that are truly grotesque (in this case there is the quintessential nightmare scene where Bev sees Claire split apart himself from Eliot, his twin, by taking a bite out of the deformed connection with a vein in her mouth), and sometimes having to do with outright criminals (History of Violence and Spider come to mind as those who are just right on the brink all the time).
"Tell me about my vagina." To enjoy this film, you'll need to a) turn off your disbelief entirely, as it features a fairly preposterous and exploitative premise b) put up with unpleasant characters and unpleasant happenings, without expecting any thrills or pleasures at all c) be interested in the craft of acting.Jeremy Irons' portrayal of a set of twins is a case study in the art of acting, but unfortunately I found this movie so unpleasant I couldn't keep watching after about an hour.
It wasn't anything specific, like scenes of visceral body-related gore that Cronenberg specialises in, and that I usually enjoy, but just that after an hour I couldn't spend time with these unpleasant characters any more, and both their souls and, plainly, their faces, just made me glad to be rid of them.I feel sort of petty to be panning a film based on this kind of thing, but as unpleasant as Jeremy Irons' twins are (though a brilliant technical feat of acting), it was actually Geneviève Bujold I couldn't look at any more.
I can never watch it again, and maybe that's because of Jeremy Irons' fantastic performance(s), maybe Cronenberg's tight and tasteful direction and feel for the genre, or maybe just the mere fact that this sick story is based on true events.Of caurse, the fact that a movie-script is "based on a true story" does not make it true in itself.
If you're into this movie, and even more importantly, if you are a fan of Jeremy Irons, you need to get your hands on the newly-released DVD version of Dead Ringers, which features, among other things, a stunning commentary by Irons himself, where he talks about the challenges of successfully creating the illusion of twins, his feelings about the movie in general, his feelings about working with Cronenberg and Bujold, the subtle shifts in energy he employs in making Beverly and Elly different, the musical score, the importance of the camera man in the film process, the thrill of doing scenes that include both drama and humor (like the 'separation' scene near the end), and much more.
The film is about two twins, Elliott and Beverly (both played by the fantastic Jeremy Irons) who are gynecologists and discover that some women suffer from mutations in their uterus.
Jeremy Irons plays the dual roles of Beverly / "Bev" and Elliot / "Ellie" Mantle in this unnerving, depressing tale of the incredible bond between two identical twin brothers.
However, when the more confident Elliot passes on his newest girlfriend, Claire Niveau (Genevieve Bujold), to his weaker, more sensitive sibling Beverly, it leads to the beginning of big trouble for both of them.As is often the case with a David Cronenberg film, here you get something interesting and intellectual.
Those surgical instruments that the unstable Beverly designs for supposed "mutant women" are very amusing in a hideous, twisted way.Not exactly a "feel good movie", but fans of the director will find a fair bit to enjoy here.Future 'Law and Order' actress Jill Hennessy makes her film debut, appearing alongside HER real life twin sister Jacqueline.Eight out of 10..
Unlike Cronenberg's earlier, more straightforward visceral offerings - such as THE FLY and SCANNERS (incidentally, the star of SCANNERS, Stephen Lack, makes an unwelcome cameo appearance), DEAD RINGERS plays it slowly, taking time to create realistic characters (thanks to some superb acting on behalf of the leads) and building up a horrifying story.
That he also convinces you that he's two separate people is a mark of class.Rather than in-your-face gore and stark terror (of which you might have come to expect from Cronenberg's earlier '80s offerings), there is an unsettling and disturbing story built up here of the two twins, and Jeremy Irons is simply magnificent in his role.
The viewer really feels for the two doomed brothers and there are lots and lots of disturbing, mind-rending scenes included in the film, most of them involving the perversely shaped instruments that Irons has constructed in a fit of madness - yet another mark of Cronenberg's twisted "body horror".It's a difficult for me to review because in order to understand it, you have to see it.
It's not an easy film to watch either, there were moments where I felt like turning the video off due to the horror on show and the fact that the bastard Cronenberg makes us CARE for the people as he tortures them inside and out.
Both in tune with each in spite of being different personalities, their world starts to fold inwards when Beverly falls in love with drug dependent actress Claire Niveau (Bujold).Inspired by the real life story of gynaecologist twins Cyril and Steve Marcus (who were both found dead from suicide brought about by drug addiction), Dead Ringers is an amalgamation of unsettling horror and icy cold playfulness; in other words a perfect canvas for auteur Cronenberg to paint some of his peccadilloes.
Films like "Scanners," "Crash," "The Fly," "Dead Ringers," and the new "eXistenZ" differ in story and structure, but there seems to be one common thread running through all of them: Cronenberg's vision.Jeremy Irons gives the most fully realized performance of his stunning career as twin gynecologists joined at the mind.
That in mind, what makes Dead Ringers so worthy, and so hard to step away from--even after its conclusion--is Irons, who gives one of the great acting performances in all film..
David Cronenberg found fame making pretty 'out there' films which, due to their content, never really received much mainstream attention, destined to become 'cult classics.' His most successful outing was the remake of 'The Fly,' but that was what most people would agree on was an outright 'horror.' Next he made 'Dead Ringers.' It's a story about a pair of identical twins (both played by Jeremy Irons thanks to some clever editing and camera tricks - no CGI here!) who are both brilliant surgeons and yet succumb to some pretty distasteful vices.It looked like Cronenberg had finally left his 'body horror' roots behind, moved through an outright horror film and was now making high-quality dramas with an A-list cast.
Dead RingersThe easiest way to tell twins apart is to horribly scar one of them across the cheek.And while incisions are central to this psychological thriller, professional doctors perform them all.Twin Torontonian gynecologists, Beverly and Elliot Mantle (Jeremy Irons), have made a name for themselves fixing female fertility problems.When an infertile and drug-addled actress, Claire (Geneviève Bujold) asks for their assistance, Elliot encourages his reserved brother to seduce her.But their relationship is jeopardized when she learns that Elliot has been impersonating his brother to have sex with her.Meanwhile, Beverly has sunk into a delusional world where he is haunted by disfigured female organs.Adapted from the book by Canadian director David Cronenberg, Dead Ringers delivers two outstanding performances from Irons, along with eerie imagery and an enigmatic ending that will leave heads scratching.Unfortunately, identical twin gynecologists mean you're gonna have four hands up your vagina.Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca.
Eventually, the pair conclude that the only way to ensure permanent separation is by taking extreme measures...Lacking the outrageously gory shock tactics of director David Cronenberg's earlier horror movies, Dead Ringers might seem like something of a departure for the Canadian auteur; however, although the focus here is much more psychological than physiological, its 'horror' stemming from the gut-wrenching tragedy of the Mantle twins' inextricably intertwined existence rather than an excess of blood and guts, the film still proves to be an immensely disturbing experience.With a superb dual performance from Irons as both Mantle twins, and flawless direction from Cronenberg, who employs a combination of split screen special effects, body doubles and clever editing to convince the viewer that they are watching two actors rather than just the one, Dead Ringers is a tragic masterpiece of the bizarre (it might not be that bloody, but it's still damn freaky!), one that should be considered essential viewing for any serious horror fan..
Twin gynecologists (both played by Jeremy Irons) take full advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart, until their relationship begins to deteriorate over a woman.How to describe this film and fit it into Cronenberg's canon?
In a challenging dual role Jeremy Irons portrays Elliott and Beverly Mantle, identical twin brothers who share everything together: work, women, and eventually drug addiction and death.
In the movie Jeremy Irons as both, subbing for the Marcus boys, Doctors Beverly & Elliot Mantle gives one of the greatest and most difficult acting performances of all, both in film and on stage, time!
It wasn't long after Elliot left the scene that Beverly, now for the first time in his life along in the world, without his brother to care and look after him was soon to follow in his footsteps or better yet grave.P.S The film "Dead Ringers" is actually based on the true and shocking story of the Marcus Brothers who accidentally or on purpose drugged themselves to death back in 1975.
And I want to know what that transcendental feeling is.David Cronenberg's unique film about twins, Dead Ringers, stars Jeremy Irons in a dual role as Beverly and Elliot Mantle, gifted identicals who grow up to be exceptionally accomplished gynecologists.
Cronenberg's skillful technical realisation of a complex concept and witty, knowing script make for a wonderfully multi-layered movie about the tensions of love, sexuality and family; science, irrationality and madness.But what exalts Dead Ringers, at least in my eyes, is Jeremy Irons, who gives two of his greatest performances, disturbed and disturbing, yet beautiful and emotive as the Mantle twins (for which he should have won both best actor and best supporting actor Oscars).
The movie is truly one of the eeriest films I have ever seen.Jeremy Irons pulls off playing twin brothers so well it's as if there are twoof him.
Eschewing his usual stomach-churning special effects (save for one memorable sequence -- sometimes less *is* more), Cronenberg creates a chilling atmosphere and crafts a story of devastating power.Some call his films cold and clinical, but there is a deep emotional undercurrent to this one, carried over from his previous features, "The Fly" and "The Dead Zone." Naturally, it helps that he gets career-best performances out of Jeremy Irons and Genevieve Bujold (a criminally underrated actress).
But at least Lynch's tend to be a bit more fascinating."Dead Ringers" is basically just a low-grade exploitation flick with some OK performances by Jeremy Iron (playing twins; first time trick photography had been done like this before) and typical Cronenberg weirdness.
With a director like David Cronenberg, who besides great scares also makes great MOVIES, an actor like Jeremy Irons and a story like this, you'd expect more suspense and more interesting characters than this.Although as a film, it's craftilly made, as a horrorfilm it's pretty dire.
Dead Ringers (1988) *** (out of 4) Gynocologist and twin brothers Elliot and Beverly Mantle (Jeremy Irons) work together in their field and quickly become well-known for their brilliance.
Cronenberg may have taken some liberties with some of their more intimate details but the general story — twin doctors who seem to have taken the same path towards a mental collapse — remains intact, making the movie all the more interesting for it.The film follows identical twin brothers Elliot and Beverly Mantle (both played superbly by Jeremy Irons), prominent gynecologists in Toronto who share a bit more than just career aspirations.