The Double (2013)

A clerk in a government agency finds his unenviable life takes a turn for the horrific with the arrival of a new co-worker who is both his exact physical double and his opposite - confident, charismatic and seductive with women.

Director:

Richard Ayoade

Writers:

Fyodor Dostoevsky (novel), Richard Ayoade

Stars:

Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn

1 win & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jesse Eisenberg	...	Simon / James
Mia Wasikowska	...	Hannah
Wallace Shawn	...	Mr Papadopoulos
Yasmin Paige	...	Melanie
Noah Taylor	...	Harris
James Fox	...	The Colonel
Cathy Moriarty	...	Kiki
Phyllis Somerville	...	Simon's Mother
Gabrielle Downey	...	Strange Woman
Jon Korkes	...	Detective
Craig Roberts	...	Young Detective
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith	...	Guard / Doctor
Susan Blommaert	...	Liz
Bruce Byron	...	Skinhead
J. Mascis	...	Janitor (as J Mascis)

Storyline

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 Simons exact physical double and his opposite - confident, charismatic and good with women. To Simons horror, James slowly starts taking over his life.

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Plot Keywords:

double | office cubicle | employer employee relationship | lookalike | suicide | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name Hannah is a palindrome (the same backwards), underlining the film's theme of doubleness.

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Quotes

Simon: I have all these things that I want to say to her, like... Like how I can tell she's a lonely person, even if other people can't. Cause I know what it feels like to be lost and lonely and invisible.

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Connections

References A Short Film About Love (1988)

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Soundtracks

The Sun
Written by Shin Joong Hyun
Published by Shin Joong Hyun MVD
Performed by Kim Jung Mi
Courtesy of Light in the Attic Records & Distribution, LLC (c) 2011

User Reviews

Creative film making

What happens if you are a genuinely nice person? Willing to go the extra mile for others, always submissive to the wishes of your family and are generally a nice guy. You are taken for granted and treated like dirt. 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.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 April 2014 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Double

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,646, 11 May 2014

Gross USA:

$200,406

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,662,515

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alcove Entertainment, Attercop Productions, British Film Institute (BFI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1