Enemy (2013)

A man seeks out his exact look-alike after spotting him in a movie.

Director:

Denis Villeneuve

Writers:

José Saramago (novel), Javier Gullón

Stars:

Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon

17 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Adam + Anthony
Mélanie Laurent	...	Mary
Sarah Gadon	...	Helen
Isabella Rossellini	...	Mother
Joshua Peace	...	Teacher at School (as Josh Peace)
Tim Post	...	Anthony's Concierge
Kedar Brown	...	Security Guard
Darryl Dinn	...	Video Store Clerk
Misha Highstead	...	Lady in the Dark Room
Megan Mane	...	Lady in the Dark Room
Alexis Uiga	...	Lady in the Dark Room

Storyline

Adam Bell is a Toronto area History college professor. He is a rather somber man, largely because he is stuck in a routine, which includes a relationship with his live-in girlfriend, Mary. While watching a rental movie, he spots an actor in a bit part that looks like him. He becomes obsessed with finding out about this double of his. He learns that the actor's stage name is Daniel Saint Claire, whose legal name is Anthony Claire. Claire is a Toronto based actor with only a few on-screen credits, and is married to a woman named Helen who is currently several months pregnant. Adam then becomes obsessed with meeting Claire, who he learns upon first sighting that they look exactly the same, from the facial hair to a scar each has, but Claire who outwardly is more "put together" than Adam. Their lives become intertwined as Claire himself ends up becoming obsessed with Adam, but in a slightly different way.

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Plot Keywords:

doppelganger | double | infidelity | spider | female frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

You can't escape Yourself!

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

Canada Spain France

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 February 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

An Enemy

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,161, 14 March 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,007,088, 11 May 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pathé International, Entertainment One, Rhombus Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Another poster that can be seen behind Adam in the video store is for the film Hierro (2009). The screenwriter of Hierro is Javier Gullón, he also wrote the screenplay for Enemy.

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Goofs

When Anthony calls Adam they agree to meet on a Sunday, one hour drive out of town. When there is the aerial shot of Adam driving to the appointment, shortly there is a billboard in the background displaying the date of "today". It states it's July the 13th of 2012. This date is on a Friday.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mother: [leaving a message] Hello, darling, it's your mother. Thank you for showing me your new apartment. I'm worried about you. I mean, how can you live like that? Anyway, would you call me back? Let's get together again. I love you.

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Connections

Referenced in Half in the Bag: Shut in and Arrival (2016)

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Soundtracks

Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love
Performed by Jonathan Richman
Written by Jonathan Richman
Published by Rockin' Leprechaun Music
Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved.
Courtesy of Vapor Records/Sanctuary Records Group Inc.,
under license from Universal Music Canada

User Reviews

Kafka meets Lynch!

Denis Villeneuve, whose last two films were the hugely impressive Incendies and Prisoners, has concocted a real oddity here. If you can imagine David Lynch adapting a Kafka novel, then you will be in the right neighborhood! In Incendies and Prisoners,Villeneuve inserted serious moral and social issues in the context of first rate thrillers' Here he follows the same tradition but the tone is more abstract and absurd. Neverherless, Enemy, adapted from a novel by the Nobel prize winner Jose Saramago, is always gripping and totally fascinating. A man (Jake Gyllenhaal) gets a recommendation from a colleague to watch a particular video. The main actor in the video appears to be his doppelgänger and the two agree to meet. To reveal any more would lessen the enjoyment of this highly original film. Well worth catching.