Enemy, a review

Glib Reviews of Recent DVD Releases

Enemy
Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Cronenberg-tastic ode to creepy as fuck 1970’s movies. Toronto hasn’t looked so terrifying in a long time. (unless maybe you live near Rob Ford, too late, too soon?)  Director Villeneuve makes no mistakes telling the age old tale of “the Evil Twin.” For me personally, these kinds of stories where “the other” turns out to be a doppelganger, or double, these are the stories that get under my skin the most. The idea that there is another exact (or close to) duplicate of me out there, but not me or is me, either way, waaaaughhhh! I used to get mistaken for other people a lot when I was younger, it still freaks me out.

It’s no spoiler to tell you that that’s what this tale is, with many cinematic odes, or nuances borrowed from Hitchcock, Truffaut (the whole first part has a real Bride Wore Black Vibe.) Polanski, and of course there is lots and lots of Uber-Dystopic Toronto Cronenberg atmosphere, so much atmosphere, Villeneuve and his Cinematographer, Nicolas Bolduc paint the screen with frightening architecture. 

Art Film Ho! Fine by me, bring on the open ended but not in the way you thought it was going to be, endings!

There’s no gore, but lots of stuff that will turn your stomach and twist your brain. I had bad dreams, the only Times I have ever had a movie give me bad dreams were Texas Chain Saw Massacre (The new Blu ray with great headphones, try it if you dare, the soundtrack is insane) The Exorcist, and Villeneuve’s early film “Maelstrom.”

The Soundtrack alone will mess you up, like the best creepy movies. Watch it, listen, with a good sound system, it is worth it. Jake Gyllenhaal is in full Captain Beard-o mode in this picture: brooding, being sexy, brooding, pontificating, slouching, brooding, looking nervous, slouching, being sexy.... 

You can’t give much plot without giving much away, The Double story, usually only ends a few ways, none of them happy. In mythology, seeing your double is bad luck. Oh, and your creepy/sexy mom who says a lot of weird uncomfortable stuff to you is Isabella Rossellini? That would drive even the most bearded of hunks to the edge of madness. 

Neither of the ‘twins’ is evil, but nor are they good, they are both fucked up, and freaked out, and then in the end, well it will be for you to decide. The film leaves you with lots of questions, and ideas about what the hell just happened. For me this is a very good thing. 

Highly recommended if you like creepy stuff happening to hot people in a dystopian city of some sort that looks eerily familiar.



9.456 Odes to David Cronenberg, that really are odes to David Cronenberg outta 10


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