‘The Double’ and its take with Jesse Eisenberg

Photo by Julian Jensen, via flickr

Rafael Abreu/Staff Writer 

Based on the novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, “The Double” is the story of Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg) as he comes into contact with his doppelganger, James Simon (Jesse Eisenberg). A black comedy of the bleakest sorts, “The Double” also works as a psychological thriller, featuring uncomfortable scenarios among subtle and large laughs.

Simon is not displayed as confident or noticed; he desperately wants to talk to his neighbor and co-worker Hannah (Mia Wasikowska) but hasn’t the guts to actually go through with it. He’s routinely ignored by everyone he comes into contact with and he doesn’t seem to have anything about him that is unique or interesting. James, on the other hand, is confident, noticed, and has the guts to get with Hannah. So what makes James so much better than Simon? It’s a question that Simon asks throughout most of the film, as he views James as identical to himself, if only because they share the same face. Indeed, no one in the entire film ever looks at Simon and James and thinks they resemble one another; sure one might have a different attitude than the other, but as Simon wonders, what makes James stand out as a different person?

The comedy in “The Double” comes from various places, such as a scene where Simon embarrasses himself or a scene from a fictional television program the characters watch. A good deal of it can be labeled as “cringe worthy”, since Simon does have his fair share of humiliating moments. However, there are just as many laughs from lighter moments, such as the aforementioned television program, the reactions people have towards Simon or James, and James himself (mainly in the form of dialogue).

It’s important to know that “The Double” does not feel like a comedy. Sure, it might be labeled as an incredibly black comedy, but even then, the film always feels like a thriller masquerading as a comedy. From the very first shot to the final shot, “The Double” is always in the dark, with lighting to an incredible minimum.

The world these characters live in consists of different types of twentieth century technology and the style of dress, architecture, and lack of sunlight all feel authentically dystopian. There’s also the mystery behind the jobs both Simon and James hold, the politics of this job, and the way the police and hospitals are handled. The appearance of doppelgangers alone is the film’s biggest mystery, but what becomes clear is that the film isn’t all that interested in answering questions that needn’t be asked.

“The Double” is, at its core, an examination on the psyche when someone comes into contact with a version of themselves that seems to express every desire and attitude they wish to publicize. James represents the confidence and swagger that Simon could only dream of expressing, especially when it comes to Hannah. On top of that, both Simon and James represent the flaws that exist between one another: James is too cocky and a dishonest while Simon is too emotional and introverted. Still, the film manages to be darkly amusing and hilarious, even at times that would seem less than appropriate. It works as a psychological thriller just as much as it works as a nightmarish comedy.

rafael.abreu@fiusm.com