The Double
Simon is a timid man, scratching out an isolated existence in an indifferent world. He is overlooked at work, scorned by his mother, and ignored by the woman of his dreams. He feels powerless to change any of these things. The arrival of a new co-worker, James, serves to upset the balance. James is both Simon’s exact physical double and his opposite - confident, charismatic and good with women. To Simon’s horror, James slowly starts taking over his life.
Surreal is right @cb2014
I wasn’t sure how a comedy could be made of a situation described in the synopsis, but this movie is much more than a guy going after his dream girl. It’s a study of becoming the person you want to be. The surreal landscapes and absurd humor add to that extremely well. If you’re expecting a lot of laughs, turn around. It’s not particularly meant to be a funny movie. Some parts of the film seemed a little forced in their weirdness, but generally, it works pretty nicely. Great acting on Eisenberg’s part. Great directing on Ayoade’s part. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys watching something different every now and again.
Aesthetic Perfection @lonewolfhowling
After watching the movie and reading a couple of reviews I've come to the conclusion that the reason some people rated it negatively wasn't because the movie was bad, but simply because they didn't know what kind of movie they were getting themselves into. If you're looking for a moronic comedy then look no further than Adam Sandler, but if you're interested in a uniquely presented film with an artistic vision of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel of the same name, look no further. Ayoade took Dostoyevsky's novel, adapted the screenplay and directed his vision in a very artistic and visually pleasing way. And much in the same way that Dostoyevsky is a literary genius, Aoyade is a genius at transcending his vision unto the screen. The movie is visually stunning, driven by its interesting characters and a great story told through a minimalistic medium without coming off as pretentious. The whole thing is enhanced through Eisenberg's performance, which is just as flawless as his roles on The Social Network and Adventureland. This is no Hollywood film; it doesn't try to dumb itself down for its audience. It's presented as it is, almost as if the characters were being filmed by an invisible camera as they had normal conversations, making the comedy aspect hard to distinguish, which could make some viewers confuse its witty jokes with sheer misfortune. With this in mind it is easy to admire Ayoade's work for the masterpiece what it is, aesthetic perfection.
Great Film @Xavier Sharp
Obviously it’s early yet in the movie-watching season, but so far, this sweeps away all competition up to this point. Fantastically shot. More reminiscent of Orson Welles’ Trial than Brazil, I think. It’s not really a comedy, and it’s not nearly as light-hearted as Gilliam’s masterpiece. It’s dark, bleak, and almost creepy in a way. The best way to explain it is to have you watch it. Definitely 5 stars. And I’ll probably end up buying this one.
Brilliant Sophmore Effort from Richard Ayoade @George10005
With a stunning double-turn from Jesse Eisenberg at its center, 'The Double' is in some ways an amalgam of things you've seen before, and in other ways, wholly original and visionary. I love how far down the rabbit hole Ayoade's film goes and where it ultimately ends up. This is a brave and somehow classically stylish film that puts its still-growing director on the must-watch list.
My Money Is Gone @Nemesizer
I watched 30 minutes of this eye and ear pollution and turned it off. "Beautifully shot" if you're into that sewer, flickering dark lights, gloomy weird thing. Plot… didn't make it to one. "Funny" in that HA HA you just punched me in the gut and took my money funny… HA. If you must spend the money, go into the bathroom, turn off the light, turn on your flashlight, drop your money into the toilet (shake your flashlight a little) and flush. Money spent, less time wasted. This review is my gift to you potential suckers and my middle finger to the people who made this "movie".