Richard Ayoade鈥檚 adaptation of the existentialist Russian novella, The Double, is a dark comedic vision that sees Jesse Eisenberg perform two opposing manifestations of the same self.
Best known for his comedy roles in the IT Crowd and The Mighty Boosh, and his award-winning directing debut, Submarine (2010), performer, writer and filmmaker Richard Ayoade鈥檚 most recent work, The Double,takes a somewhat darker turn. Adapted from an 1866 novella of the same name, written by Russian existentialist Fyodor Dostoevsky, this black comedy and love story tells the tale of a man whose life is altered irreversibly by the intrusion of his mirror image: an aesthetically identical, opposite persona.
Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg) is a meek introvert; he lives alone, labours unnoticed at his deadening office job, and he spends his evenings watching his beautiful colleague and neighbour (Mia Wasikowska) through a telescope from his apartment window. Described by a colleague as 鈥減retty unnoticeable 鈥 a bit of a non-person,鈥 Simon is plagued by the threat of disappearing completely: even his own mother has trouble remembering who he is when he visits her care home, the security guard at his office refuses, day after day, to recognise him, and the suicide rate of his hometown is increasingly cataclysmic (investigating officers note Simon down as 鈥渁 maybe鈥). Often self-analysing, Simon contemplates: 鈥淚鈥檓 permanently outside myself, you could put your hand straight through me.鈥
Simon鈥檚 banal life takes a bizarre turn when a new arrival joins his workplace, James Simon (Eisenberg in a double role), who is, as his name suggests, Simon鈥檚 mirror image: superficially identical, but with polar opposite character traits. James is a carefree risk-taker and the centre of attention at work and play; an overconfident philanderer, he is also, most significantly, the centre of his female colleagues鈥 affections. James moves in across the street from Simon, within the sightlines of his telescope. Initially James鈥 appearance seems to offer a glint of hope for Simon: he offers him romantic advice, and Simon reciprocates by supporting James at work; however, Simon鈥檚 kindly actions are soon taken advantage of. As James begins to invade Simon鈥檚 professional and personal life with increasingly dire consequences, Simon is forced to fight back, yet in doing so, he soon realises that he is connected to James in more ways than just their shared appearance, bringing a twisted conclusion to Ayoade鈥檚 movie.
Ayoade initially discovered the script for the film via its producers, Robin C. Fox and Amina Dasmal of Alcove Entertainment, who admit that they had been 鈥渟talking鈥 the writer and actor 鈥 who at the time was yet to make his directing debut. Having worked with Harmony Korine in 2009, it was a chance meeting with her brother, scriptwriter Avi Korine, who had been working on a re-write of The Double since 2007, which finally provided the bait that Fox and Dasmal needed. Ayoade explains his attraction to The Double: 鈥淚t鈥檚 quite a strange book, and it鈥檚 got a strange ending. It seemed like a good part for an actor.鈥 He continues: 鈥淲hat I liked about it was that the central idea in it was very funny to me 鈥 that someone could be your exact replica and no one would notice, and that you鈥檇 be so unremarkable that even if you pointed out the obvious to them they still wouldn鈥檛 care.鈥
He describes the central joke as 鈥渂eing like a Monty Python sketch鈥, comparing it to 鈥渙ne of those stories you hear about a famous person not being able to get into a club and they say 鈥榙on鈥檛 you know who I am?鈥 But the reality is that unless you do, then they are just someone trying to get into a club. It鈥檚 that question: what are you? What you are is slightly in the eyes of other people, and what you think you are doesn鈥檛 necessarily correspond to what everyone else thinks of you. That鈥檚 why it was interesting to make it into a love story: how do you fall in love with someone if you don鈥檛 know what they鈥檙e like 鈥 and if the only thing you know about them is what you鈥檝e observed, then the question is do you even know them at all?鈥 The casting of Australian rising star Mia Wasikowska as Simon鈥檚 beloved Hannah is ingenious; Ayoade affirms: 鈥渟he has a sort of enigmatic quality,鈥 and appears simultaneously shy, troubled and yet quietly aware of her beauty 鈥 a conviction brought out by James during the second half of the film. 鈥淚f anyone can cast Mia in something then they will; she鈥檚 timeless in a way.” Discussing both leads, Ayoade says that they 鈥渉ave an intelligence that鈥檚 hard to act 鈥 certain things and personal qualities, that are unactable.鈥
Ayoade continued to work on drafts with Avi, Eisenberg and Wasikowska were identified during this process, and were the only actors they auditioned for the roles. 鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult to think of better actors than them,鈥 Ayoade comments. The choice of Eisenberg, who has recently shot to fame due to award-winning roles in Zombieland, The Social Network and Now You See Me may seem like a commercial move (or at least a certain help rather than hindrance); however, Ayoade dismisses any notion of tactical casting: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what makes people go and see something, but you鈥檇 hope that audiences know that Jesse鈥檚 never bad, so there鈥檚 at least stock of trust there. I think you make a movie for one person that you love rather than what a bunch of people might love. Perhaps it is counter-intuitive, but if you try to think for an audience then you鈥檒l make something that no-one will like at all.鈥
Instead, it seems that Ayoade chose Eisenberg simply because 鈥渉e is extraordinary, and there aren鈥檛 many actors who could play both parts and have that precision. He鈥檚 technically brilliant but also spontaneous and instinctive; he goes for the reality of things.鈥 It鈥檚 true that Eisenberg鈥檚 performance is natural and believable, perhaps because he is an actor who really 鈥渓ives鈥 his part: 鈥淚f my day ended playing Simon, I would go home miserable,鈥 Eisenberg muses. 鈥淚t was a relief to play James, because Simon was so self-hating and miserable. I definitely took on their traits. I was full of ideas when I was playing James, but playing Simon, I was so shut down; and I would want to do the scene over and over again.鈥
Playing two roles, in the same clothes and often superimposed so that both Simon and James appear onscreen at once, Eisenberg portrays two completely opposing characters using only differing facial expressions, tone of voice, gait and posture. Ayoade comments: 鈥淓ven in a still frame, a close-up still frame, you could tell which one (Simon or James) was which. It was remarkable. Just by thinking differently he changes his appearance.鈥 Ayoade enthuses: 鈥淚t was essential that the two characters looked exactly the same as, according to the story, there鈥檚 no real reason why one person should prefer James to Simon 鈥 not because one is dressed differently to the other, or does his hair in a certain way 鈥 but they鈥檒l both come into a room at once, and everyone will turn round and look at James rather than Simon. The movie needed to have the logic of a bad dream.鈥 This dreamlike quality is not only achieved through the film鈥檚 central narrative, but wholeheartedly through its production design, which avoids any geographic or temporal location. Instead Ayoade achieves an other-worldliness that is necessary 鈥渁s the doppelganger story is slightly mythological; you don鈥檛 want the story to be 鈥榦nce upon a time in Folkestone.鈥 You want it to be more generalised.鈥
The filming took place over a 53-day shoot, not in Folkestone, but surprisingly in a Crowthorne aircraft hangar 鈥 something that Ayoade describes as 鈥渋ntense because the idea was to make it all quite industrial, with hard lighting.鈥 Additionally, the filming took place entirely at night. Ayoade continues: 鈥淚t was thought that the environment wouldn鈥檛 be comfort-led 鈥 none of the chairs are cozy and none of the instruments are ergonomic 鈥 it was all built for durability rather than being consumer-driven, in any way.”
The sets are minimal and comprise overtly false-looking props, which carry the same warped humour as the narrative, reflecting what Ayoade details as 鈥渉ow they would have (wrongly) imagined the future in the 1950s, with everything overdesigned and massive computers doing everything.鈥 There is also a nod to Brutalist architecture and, with Simon鈥檚 /James鈥 office cubicles, even the old Holborn post office sorting room, Ayoade recalls: 鈥淭hey would have these tiny cubicles and big chutes, and the letters would all shoot right down to someone just sitting there sorting them.鈥 Not only do these sets reinforce the idea of a hierarchical structure, but the mix of eras is necessary to portray the idea that someone could 鈥渂e totally invested in their job, in a clerk sort of way,鈥 something he sees as 鈥渁lmost impossible in the modern world.鈥 This slight jarring of reality is something that Ayoade believes 鈥渉as slightly gone out of the window now 鈥 films seem to be either complete fantasy or to have a phoney advert realism, which is slightly better than your life, but pretends its real as everyone says 鈥榚r鈥 a lot.鈥
Neither Ayoade nor Eisenberg are blockbuster disciples (tellingly, Eisenberg was compelled to work with Ayoade after watching Submarine twice over), because sometimes: 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 feel that involved as there鈥檚 less of a point of view and more of a distance.鈥 Therefore Ayoade highlights Edward Hopper鈥檚 paintings, the work of David Lynch and the subjective style of Hitchcock as key influences: admiring 鈥渢he idea of showing someone, demonstrating what they look at; and what they think afterwards. Doing something through a character鈥檚 eyes is something I like about films.鈥
Ayoade鈥檚 focus upon the individual is incredibly noticeable within The Double, and the way that he handles the brief appearances of Chris O鈥橠owd, Craig Roberts, Sally Hawkins, James Fox and Paddy Considine is (as is typical) far different from the conventional and recognisable 鈥渃ameo鈥 appearance. Ayoade muses: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e always trying to make the best case for each character 鈥 regardless of their position within the story.鈥 The cameos are never just 鈥渟howing face,鈥 but are fully-fledged personalities with clear function, and often appear in scenes that are suggestive of theatrical tableau.
With Yasmin Paige, Noah Taylor and Wallace Shawn also playing substantial roles, Ayoade鈥檚 background seems to have provided him with a strong foundation of talented people to work with: 鈥淚鈥檓 aware it鈥檚 unusual, but I鈥檝e always worked with them and it seems odd not to have them in, if I can, because they鈥檙e great actors. Ultimately a film is entirely about the actors; they鈥檙e the people that you follow and it鈥檚 their faces and emotions that are magnified, so really, they鈥檙e the final conduit between the audience and the film. I think it was Aki Kaurismaki (the Finnish director) who said that 鈥榓ll you really are as a film director is a football manager standing on the side-lines.鈥 You can will something to happen, but you aren鈥檛 actually playing; you can sway the actors, but ultimately it鈥檚 them doing it.鈥
Ayoade鈥檚 cast are equally praising of him; Wasikowska said: 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 had an experience that has been this fulfilling in all areas. He has a really sensitive way of dealing with actors and getting the best out of us.鈥 And Eisenberg notes that working on The Double was 鈥渢he most interesting experience I鈥檝e ever had. Every scene was located in this ambiguous place and time. He never wanted anything to be standard. Often, an actor comes with his own strange ideas, and the director shapes them into a normal movie scene. Richard takes actors鈥 strange inclinations 鈥 and pushes them further.鈥
Although there is a thematic divide between the warmly lit, youthful 鈥渃oming-of-age鈥 story, Submarine, and the claustrophobic, cramped world of The Double, Ayoade鈥檚 dry wit and subjective dramatic approach clearly connects the two, creating what Eisenberg describes as 鈥渁n aesthetic that is totally his own.鈥 On the subject of personal style, Ayoade is as modest as ever: 鈥淚 think style is the residue rather than the aim: it鈥檚 what comes naturally; it鈥檚 the thing of yourself that you can鈥檛 get rid of.鈥
Chloe Hodge
