The Double
Tags: comedy, neo noir, suicidal, plot twist, psychedelic, romantic

Plot synopsis:
Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg) is a young Canadian man living in London, England who exits a tube train, gets his briefcase caught in the door and loses it because the handle breaks off and the train rushes off. Going into work, he is forced to start signing in without his proper ID badge, which is still in his briefcase. Once inside the workstation, he tries to talk his boss (Wallace Shawn) into using some ideas for the business. While walking, Simon learns he will be tutoring his boss's daughter, Melanie (Yasmin Paige).While visiting his mother (Phyllis Somerville) in a nursing home, he encounters another resident who claims he is "not right". Simon then goes to his apartment and spies on a co-worker he admires, Hannah (Mia Wasikowska), who lives in the apartment diagonally opposite his, using a telescope set up in front of his window. Simon notices Hannah ripping and throwing away art and retrieves it. Bringing it to his apartment, he reassembles and admires it.One night, Simon sees a man jump from a ledge the floor above Hannah; the man dies upon impact. Simon talks to two police detectives, who question him and explain that if the man had jumped a few feet to the right, he would have bounced off of an awning and landed on the cement, mangled but able to survive with immediate medical attention.Simon takes Hannah to a restaurant, where he gets a call from his mother. When he returns to the table he had been sitting at, he sees Hannah is gone but in a note she left she says she will see him later. Simon then trades his television in for money and buys a gift for Hannah.At work, Simon hears his boss talking to a new person and goes out to see James Simon (Jesse Eisenberg in a dual role), who looks identical to him. Simon faints, and, upon waking up sees everyone crowded around him, not noticing the similarities between him and James. Simon and James go to a bar, where Simon bumps into a drunk man who threatens to fight. James headbutts the man and knocks him out before he can engage. Simon and James run off and get on a train, where Simon explains his love for Hannah and says he feels invisible. Simon then brings James, who has fallen asleep, to his apartment and admires their similarities.As James starts getting more respect at work, Hannah reveals she wants to go on a date with him. On the date, Simon pretends to be James with the real James telling him what to do and say via earpiece. When Simon becomes nervous, the two swap places and, upon retrieving Hannah, who has tried to leave, James kisses her in the middle of the restaurant as Simon watches. When taking a test for James, the two swap places again and James meets Melanie, who is seduced by his charm.Fed up, Simon manages to call Hannah as if he is James and gets her to go to James's apartment - which is above hers - when James and Melanie are together. This ends James and Hannah's relationship and makes James furious. James blackmails Simon by saying he either gives James the key to his apartment or their boss sees dirty photos of "Simon" and Melanie. Simon gives up his key. When Hannah asks if she can use Simon's apartment to spy and see if James is cheating on her with anyone else, James says no because she is becoming obsessed. The truth is, James has Simon's only key. This turns Hannah against him. Going home to confront James, James tackles Simon into a wall and lightly grazes his throat with a knife.The next day Simon gets angry when James tells a joke to a circle of employees, all who are laughing along. Simon accuses James of being an imposter, having stolen Simon's face. Simon has a tantrum, yelling many expletives. This results in Simon being fired. He then goes into his home with a new spare key and writes a suicide note, intending to kill himself by jumping from his window. Looking across the street, he sees Hannah on her bed, unconscious. Simon brings her to the hospital where he learns she overdosed on pills and miscarried from a sexual encounter with James. He takes her home where she suggests he kill himself. In her apartment she goes through the pockets of Simon's jacket and discovers he has kept a scrapbook of her trashed art.Simon goes home and hears via his answering machine that his mother has died. He runs to the funeral and punches James at the burial ceremony. In doing this he realizes that he and James develop the same injuries. In self-defence, a priest knocks Simon into his mother's open grave with a shovel. Simon awakes later beside the filled in grave and runs to Hannah and tells her he wants to be visible and noticed. Simon handcuffs a sleeping James to his bed and calls the suicide department and tells them someone is jumping to their death. Simon goes out on the ledge above Hannah's apartment and walks to the right before jumping, when James awakens and looks through Simon's telescope to see Simon wave goodbye. Simon hits the awning and lands with severe injuries. Hannah runs to him and an ambulance arrives. James bleeds to death in the apartment. In the back of the ambulance with Hannah and the Colonel, the Colonel says Simon is special and Simon replies with a smile on his face: "I'd like to think I'm pretty unique."

Review: Next, he knows how to get off to a great start, build a fascinating world, get you involved with his people, but third, he doesn't quite find ways to make his third acts pay off as interestingly (or powerfully or emotionally) as the first two-thirds of the film promise.
In the end things play out in a way that has been foreshadowed from early on, and suddenly the film feels less deep, less challenging, more an exercise in cinematic playfulness than an exploration of deeper themes both personal and societal.
And the film has a dark sense of humor that keeps the Kafkaesque world and 'big themes' from becoming ponderous, (Again, I just wish I had less often chuckled, but then thought 'hey, that just like the scene in 'Barton Fink', or whatever).
By your folks, colleagues and even the girl you so fancy treats you as a nonexistent entity.As if this was not discouraging enough, a new colleague joins who is identical to you in appearance but has the completely opposite personality.A smart telling of the Dostoevsky novel about a person who has the capacity to tolerate everything but his own double whose existence causes him a dilemma: continue to silently tolerate everything or change and adapt.Perhaps not the easiest of movies to watch but its quirky wit and creative cinematography will win you over..
The Double is Richard Ayoade's follow up to Submarine, and it feels heavily influenced by other works, especially from directors like David Lynch and Terry Gilliam.
I'm just not a big fan of these surreal films that don't follow a classical narrative style, and The Double is just that, it plays out as a sort of nightmare for the main character played by Jesse Eisenberg.
There is no doubt that The Double is a creepy film, but one that didn't work for me and one I don't plan on revisiting because like the main character in The Double I felt completely alienated in this dystopian world.The film introduces us to Simon (Jesse Eisenberg), a timid and shy young man who seems to live his life unperceived by everyone else.
Simon's life turns around when one day his boss, Mr. Papadopoulos (Wallace Shawn), introduces a new coworker named James who is physically identical to him, but with a complete opposite personality.
It is a difficult movie as it winds up, no question, but I find the notion that anyone feeling suicidal needs warning before viewing as slightly hysterical.On the one hand, this is an easy film to describe, whether you reference the source material, or your talk about the doppleganger and what it might be like to find one has a double.
Eisenberg does decent work playing the polar opposite dual roles, but he's left running around in a shapeless film that doesn't engage and uses quirk as a crutch instead of having any substance - it's just dead up there on the screen, pleased with itself at how clever its trying to be.
What a dreadful film, boring, unfunny, has no idea what it is meant to be, several people got up & walked out, I was tempted to join them but stuck it through to the end, but wish I had not wasted my time.Described as "comedy", it certainly was not that, references to suicide (actual & attempted) are NOT funny but serious matters.The film did not seem to know where it was going, the characters were totally unconvincing, much of the film was shot in the half dark, difficult to make out what is going on, the diction was poor at times.A waste of an evening and money, a pointless film.Give this one a miss, I wish I had!.
Don't understand how it's classed as comedy; it's a depressing movie that just drags on.I thought I was the one who didn't understand the story line, but when I spoke to other people(who didn't leave before the movie finished), they also didn't have a clue about what happened.Jesse Eisenberg was brilliant though and so were the other actors.Overall wouldn't recommend watching this movie.
Loosely based on the Dostoevsky novel the story follows Simon James - a quiet, timid character living in a bleak, soulless world where he goes unnoticed by his boss, the cute photocopier girl and even his own mother.
Then one day James Simon appears, an exact double of Simon except he's better at everything in life - he has the cocky charm, he worms his way to the top in work and even gets the girls.This is a dark, moody comedy peppered with some hilarious dialogue and genuine pathos although it doesn't quite fulfil its early expectations.
Pretentious beyond belief.I thought I'd give both Richard and Jessie a fair crack of the whip, but this film tried way too hard.I didn't feel sleepy until I watched them try to slowly unwrap a story I knew was coming from the start.
We are just supposed to go with it.In other, better movies (think Fight Club, another movie this film shamelessly copies), a brash, confident character like the bad twin would be a joy to watch.
I spent the entire film thinking, how did they fix it to have Simon and James look like they were actually in the same place.
Great actor- no doubt.This movie did not deserve his talent.It was VERY interestingly filmed, setup visually, you want to //know// what this universe is, whats going on- but you will be sadly disappointed at the end.
I cannot find logic in this film, it has no worthwhile viewing interest that I can imagine, for anyone outside of a mental health institution where the insane don't need logic to begin with.You will be disappointed if you watch this movie and again, it does //not// deserve the acting talent of Jesse Eisenberg.
Every scene, every score, every sound, every screech, every flicker of every light, seems to echo Simon's fragile and crumbling ego.I'm quickly becoming a fan of Richard Ayoade's work as I thoroughly enjoyed his debut movie, Submarine, too.
it's hard to say) where work seems pointless and suicide is commonplace, Jesse Eisenberg plays Simon, a timid everyman working to the best of his limited ability and too shy to express his love for the girl of his dreams Hannah (Mia Wasikowska).
What plays out is a Jekyll and Hyde-style power play between James and Simon, and a love/lust triangle (of sorts) between the two of them and Hannah.The film is based on the book by Dostoyevsky (which I haven't read) that charts the mental breakdown of an office-worker in St Petersburg when faced with his exact double.
The story is about a shy, timid, loner young worker Simon James who gets used to being pushed around his gloomy and dark workplace, and just about his entire world for that matter.
Simon decides to have revenge on James by setting up a suicide attempt.The story is strangely almost the exact same as one of the recent release Enemy (2013), only instead of the buff Jake Gyllenhaal, this movie puts Jesse Eisenberg, who's not so buffed up, as the starting figure.
Although it could be said that the themes explored here are borrowed liberally from other (arguably worse) pictures, the true originality stems from Ayoade's distinctive style; with an interesting story line, cracking script and masterful sound editing, it becomes difficult to recount even a moment of the movie which could be described as 'dull' (and certainly not 'mundane') The icing on the cake is most certainly the performance of our lead protagonist(s), both played by Jesse Eisenberg who has surely never been (or never had) so much fun on screen.
I think the movie captures this feeling, along with shyness, in a great way.The visual style is reminiscent of movies like Brazil, which kind of has the same hopelessness baked into them.At times, the plot stumbles a little bit in itself, but it usually picks itself up again pretty quickly.
For example, Simon is talking on the phone with his mom and we hear him say, "Yes, I know I'm a disappointment." One of the last thematic elements is that the actors told the story partially through their body language and mannerisms; the characters' personalities are shown through how they hold themselves or act.
Jesse Eisenberg heartily devours the dual-role of Simon and James in director Richard Ayoade's The Double.
I did not get as far as seeing Eisenberg play the physical double of his initial character, because this film was just not interesting, so I turned it off.
The movie features Jesse Eisenberg as Simon James, an awkward and clumsy office worker in an ambiguous time period who goes throughout his life unnoticed until he meets his doppelganger, James Simon.
James and Simon get into a number of hilarious situations which is a light in the dark pit that this film feels like at times, though it doesn't take away from the serious themes that are discussed.
The theme of loneliness is brought up a lot throughout the entire film, as Simon talks about the feeling of being alone and how that makes him feel connected to his love interest, Hannah, played by Mia Wasikowska.
I feel as though Simon develops into the version of James that I was picturing in the beginning of the movie who is able to conquer any problem that comes in his way.
The film The Double, based off of Dostoyevsky's famous novel, is a naturalist exploration of a depressed man named Simon's encounters with love, suicide, and his doppelganger James.
The Double is a film by Richard Ayoade that tells the story of Simon James and his double, James Simon (played by Jesse Eisenberg).
The film felt like it was trying to use an economy of shots, and often the camera would follow a character across a space as they moved where other movies may have cut to a different shot.
Simon's face is almost always shadowed, giving him a gloomy look.The camera work, like any film, is varied.
I found this film extremely strange but for some reason I couldn't stop watching it.This is not exactly a depressing film, but it's definitely not a light, feel good movie either.
In Richard Ayoade's ingenious and artistic film 'The Double', apparently based on a story by Dostoeveski, an unconfident man's life is transformed, first for the better but then for the worse, when he meets a self-confident version of himself.
Written and directed by British comic Richard Ayoade, The Double is a dark yet funny comedy with likable- ish characters and some good acting that also that makes this a decent little watch.
The film is as weird as it is funny and only Ayoade could have dreamt something like this up with the world this is set in one of the weirdest I have seen in years.Simon is played by Jesse Eisenberg who is well cast in the role perfectly looking the part somehow, even though Simon is meant to be a weak none confrontational person who is pretty down a lot(poor Jesse).
It is only because of the not as good as the beginning second half that I didn't find this great or even more, it for me was a wasted opportunity but I do not blame Ayoade because his skill is what keeps this alive and kicking in the first place so I just enjoyed his talents on show.So all in all a good little adventure and one I would recommend to anyone really, although that said this does feel like a you either love it or hate it kind of thing, but don't go into it expecting it not to be weird.
Full of good actors, directed and written by a top guy and set in a dystopian world that is kind of not here(but not really anywhere), The Double is a fine film and one I expect maybe one day to have a slight cult following..
Richard Ayoade's film is about a man named about Simon James who leads a miserable existence as he is ignored at his job, scorned by his mother, and also ignored by the woman of his dreams.
A great scenario joined with astonishing performance of Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska make it a definitive must see.The film tells a story of Simon, a boy living a scarily normal life, similar to many of us and thus making the film mind blowing.
THE DOUBLE is based on a novella from Fyodor Dostoevsky and stars Jesse Eisenberg as Simon James.
The production designer and cinematographer on this film have done a fantastic job of creating a seemingly fully- realized world with very little.THE DOUBLE might sound like a thriller, and I suppose it's got elements of it, but I would say it's just as much a comedy.
Also having enjoyed his first film Submarine (2010) I had high hopes for Richard Ayoade's second film, The Double (2013).The Double follows government agency clerk Simon James (Jesse the double Eisenberg) as his dull and dreary life takes an unexpected turn upon the arrival of his double, James Simon.
We follow Simon's struggle to be identified in his work, life and in himself as James does everything he can to sabotage him at every turn.I went into this film having read no reviews and knowing very little about it.
I mean yeah I expected it to be kooky with a slight Wes Anderson feel to it, like Submarine but what we got was that and so much more.The Double, instead of the good natured fun of Ayoades first film, is noir in its style and story and art-house in its direction.
But none of what I have said should be misconstrued as being negatives, quite the opposite in fact; these were all aspects that I thought made for a compelling film.The Double jesse Jesse Esienberg to play both Simon and James was the perfect choice in my opinion.
So Jesse did a great job here with a demanding role of playing two very different people often in the same scene.One of the things which I wasn't sure about in the film was the use of the same actors.
If you answered yes then there is no need to look any further for your out-there fix than right here with I.T Crowd graduate Richard Ayoade's Brazil like, Fyodor Dostoevsky inspired oddity The Double, the years second doppelganger effort after the excellent Enemy that goes to some mighty odd places yet remains highly watchable.After showing fine form behind the camera with his 2010 debut film Submarine, Ayoade has here upped the anti and ambition with this well made and constructed mystery/comedy.
Exceptions are drive-by shootings, bomb throwing's and purse snatchings") The Double has a real flavour of its own that makes it stand out from the crowd and a macabre tone keeps the viewer on edge with its unpredictable nature that his cast plays out to good effect.Starring young Woody Allen himself Jesse Eisenberg, The Double showcases his talent as a neurotic lead in what is a nice double act for himself to riff as the characters of Simon and James, who may look the same yet have a highly different personality.
While the film is odd, it's also fascinating to watch, and features a surprisingly effective and powerful performance from Jessie Eisenberg as a man facing an identity crisis.The Double tells the story of Simon, a timid man, who is very unfortunate.
Simon soon realizes that James isn't as nice as he sounds, and that he is actually the villain of the story, trying to take over his life.British comedian and actor Richard Ayoade's second effort as a director, after Submarine (a film I have yet to see), is one of the more fascinating films I've watched from 2013, at least, in terms of how the film is shot.
Some of the scenes in this film remind me very much of a Terry Gilliam movie, like Brazil.The acting in this film is all around very good.
It certainly has several good aspects of it, Richard Ayoade's directing style is very unique, he's an artistic film maker that I hope to see more films from in the future, also Jesse Eisenberg's performance is terrific, certainly some of the best acting I've seen from him, he's normally playing the same character in every movie, but here he plays two very different roles and he is the highlight of the entire film.
Richard Ayoade directed "The Double," a film starring Jesse Eisenberg in a dual role.
James (also Eisenberg) looks like Simon but no one seems to think this is unusual.
What is poor Simon to do?In many ways, this story looks like it was infused with liberal doses of the movies 1984 as well as Brazil.
James decides to help Simon win over Hannah, using his charisma, so long as Simon helps him with all the things he lacks.While Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska aren't going anywhere we haven't seen them go before, performance wise, director Richard Ayoade places them in a world they've never been and may never be given the opportunity to go again.
Combining the quirkiness of Wes Anderson, and the creative nature of Terry Gilliam, Richard Ayoade's 'The Double' is both thought provoking and rather fantastic.Presented in musky style cinematography (think David's Finchers's 'Se7en' and you're on the right track), the film, adapted from Fyodor Postoevsky's novel of the same title, follows Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg); a very un-noticeable, unlucky and shy clerk.
His life becomes ultimately complex when James Simon (also Jesse Eisenberg), a new employee starts at his work.
Jesse Eisenberg does a great job in both roles, and the rest of the cast is flawless - Mia Wasikowska makes a luminous, lonely dream girl that Simon can't help feeling protective toward, but her character also has a darker side.