This is exactly the sort of story I should really like. I’m a huge fan of the surreal concept of a person having duplicates. But somehow, this story just wasn’t as palatable as I expected it to be.
It’s based on a novel by Dostoyevsky, so I suppose I shouldn’t expect it to be especially funny or lighthearted. There’s a charm to the bleakness that sets in, especially near the beginning, as we start to experience the bureaucracy that the main character lives in. I don’t know what I expected though. Once the duplicate arrives, there’s a kind of fun sequence where the pair work together, eventually leading to the pair turning against each other. And the movie does have a happier ending than the novel, which makes sense. But still…
I guess it’s just hard to get past the main character never having anything really go his way.
This is the directorial debut for Richard Ayoade, it’s pretty solidly done. It feels like it’s aimed a little too squarely at the art-house crowd, which is something that has been bothering me. I think I actually like my direction to be interesting, but easy to follow. There’s more confusing work going on here, and it’s hard to feel like I’m seeing real directorial skill rather than just an effort to show how creative he can be.
It’s also a pleasure to see Jesse Eisenberg playing Simon James and James Simon. He makes both characters distinct in their behavior and mannerisms.
I may have just found the dehumanizing elements of the story too upsetting. Isn’t that strange?
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