Jesse Eisenberg squares off against Jesse Eisenberg in Richard Ayoade's sophomore directorial outing, which establishes the Brit comic as a creative powerhouse in his own right and not just "Moss off The IT Crowd". Simon James is a timid introvert who has his world dramatically altered when he meets an outgoing lookalike James Simon. Nobody can notice the physical identicalness except the pair themselves, although it's more than just the psychological impact of confidence at work here; there's clearly a genuine connection between the pair. The plot is devoid of real world comparison, with its setting feeling almost like a 1970's imagining of a dystopian present. What on paper sounds like a typical doppelgänger story, albeit with some literary pedigree (it's based on a Dostoyevsky novella), in Ayoade's hands becomes an overwhelmingly stylish, distinctly unique feature. Mostly shot at night, the sky as dark as its sense of humour. Oh, and it is shockingly funny at points; the director brings in many faces recognisable to British TV audiences, which only furthers the slightly unreal feel. The Double's closest cinematic relation is Brazil, with its aimlessly automated production line office directly invoking Terry Gilliam's masterpiece. If Ayoade can in anyway follow in the direction of that other British TV comedian-cum-director then it looks like cinema-goers are in for some exciting films in the future.
