At The Double

A damp and dreary autumn morning saw the Hussies meet up for a private showing of 'The Double", director Richard Ayoade's film version of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's classic novel. Disappointingly only two of our group actually made it to the end of the Russian author's tale of madness and misery. It was a fascinating read that raised more questions than it answered and so we hoped the film version would cast light on our darkness. 

Coffee quaffed, scones savoured we took our seats for what seemed a deliciously decadant way to while away a weekday morning. The trailers preceding the main movie gave a hint of what was to come, dark, depressing off the wall movies aimed at a trendy young art house audience, did we fit the bill? I wonder...

The opening credits set the scene, grey and menacing, a joyless soviet state circa 1970. Perhaps it was this introduction and our knowledge of the original book that set the tone of the viewing, we expected no laughter and so there was no laughter. It would be interesting to gauge the reaction of a young fresh audience who are unfamiliar with Dostoyevsky's work as they might find hilarity hidden within the drab sets and serious characters.

The plot stayed true to the original although transposed into a dystopian world where social structures were not as obviously observed as they would have been in the original setting. The majority of the characters were cold and unlikeable although the protagonist engendered pity and had the Hussies rooting for him to triumph over his evil Double. The whole film , like the book is depressingly fatalistic, we know it will end badly for all involved. Jesse Eisenberg played both Simon and James brilliantly, although irritating at times, a believable portrayal of a man on the edge of madness. Mia Wasikowska of 'Alice in Wonderland' fame played the very unsympathetic love interest who's lack respect for Simon was thrown into sharp relief by her idolisation of James.

Like the book the film leaves the audience wondering was there really a double at all? and like the book it deserves a second viewing.Perhaps a 'double' take will clear the mist and we will finally know what it was all about!