Review: Boyhood

It's hard to believe that Richard Linklater is an ordinary guy, (I mean really, have you seen him? He is, in the nicest way possible, spectacularly ordinary looking.) and not some sentient cyborg that is able to tap into every facet of human emotion and then accurately reproduce them on screen. But he is an ordinary guy, one who has managed to transport some of life's greatest experiences such as tentatively falling in love and forming a relationship, (The Before Trilogy) and leaving school and taking the next steps in life. (Dazed and Confused) Admittedly, he does put his own "Linklater Twist" on both of these scenarios by having these films set over just one day, but nevertheless, the naturalistic acting and dialogue of Linklater's films really does reinforce how talented he is at building characters and filling scripts with natural emotion.

In Boyhood, his latest film, he takes the experiences shown in his previous films and more, but stretches the time-frame that we see them take place in to 12 years. In just under 3 hours, we see Ellar Coltrane's Mason (a shoe-in for a million Best Actor awards if we lived in a kinder world) go from an innocent child, to an emo teenager, to a young man. Unlike most Coming of Age films that feature events like first kiss, losing your virginity and the stability of your friendships, Linklater is mainly focused on the non-events in life. Mason moves from town to town, and friends and girlfriends appear and disappear at will. We are only given brief snapshots of each of the 12 years, but each year is as engaging as the last.

It's clearly a deeply personal film for Linklater and his cast, who would meet once a year to film for a few days before going their separate ways to focus on other projects and general life. But, I was surprised to find, Boyhood was also deeply personal for myself to watch. While of course I have felt a connection to certain films and characters in the past, I was completely taken aback by how much of Boyhood seemed to correlate with my life. Having just finished my first year of University, (the film takes us up to when Mason moves away to Austin to start college) the 12 years that play out in the film seem so recent and relevant to me. And while some events are deeply rooted in the grand tradition of "American Boyhood" - a scene where Mason is given a gun and a bible for his 15th birthday could surely not happen anywhere other than America - there are scenes in the film that every 21st Century teen or adult can relate to. Linklater carefully selects music that was popular in each year of the making for the film's soundtrack, and hearing certain choices such as The Flaming Lips and Vampire Weekend instantly brought moments from my childhood when I was the same age as Mason rushing back. I have often referred to the Before Trilogy's Jesse and Celine as feeling like "old friends that I haven't seen for a long time", but here Boyhood offers you Mason as someone whose life you can choose to view through his own viewpoint or your own.

With the Before Trilogy, an obvious homage to Truffuat's Antoine Doinel series, Linklater quietly shook up independent cinema. With Boyhood, he changes cinema as we know it. Seeing actors age naturally on screen is something that is both an odd thrill - being able to watch someone's height, weight and hairstyle change in the space of half an hour is endlessly entertaining - and a choice that feels absolutely right. Whether other directors choose to follow Linklater's lead will have to be seen, but even if they do, it seems unlikely that they could possibly come close to what is seen here. We are shown what feels like a whole life on screen - although Boyhood's 12 years feel luxurious compared to the entire "extraordinary" life that David Fincher attempts to condense in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - and it is one that you take great joy in watching, even if it is filled, just like life, with sadness, heartbreak and misery. We go to the cinema for two reasons - to see realism and escapism. Here, Linklater perfectly allows us to have both.

Grace Barber-Plentie

5/5

Top 10 Books That Should Be Turned Into Films

I am a creature of tradition, particularly pop culture based ones. Every Halloween, you'll find me rewatching every Community Halloween special, most likely followed up by It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Ditto Christmas, where I'll religiously listen to Phil Spector's Christmas record and anxiously wait for the glorious moment when Love Actually's on telly. This year marks the third year of me embarking on the third year of a tradition that seems to have sprung up out of nowhere - my annual Summer re-read of Donna Tartt's The Secret History. I've been telling people that the book is one of my favourites ever since I absorbed its final words, perhaps a little controversial considering I've only read it twice. But there is something utterly addictive about Tartt's prose, plus there's something else about it that leads me to return to it ever year… it would make a perfect film. Upon finishing it for the past two years I've huffed and puffed around the house for days on end, moaning that it would make a fantastic film, which always leads me to think of other books that really deserve the big screen treatment. Considering that this year's Best Picture at the Oscars was based on an autobiography, I'm sure there'll be a lot more adaptions being released in the coming months, but here are just a few that really deserve to get made.

The Secret History - Donna Tartt

What's it about:

Lonely working-class boy Richard falls in with the well off and eccentric classmates of his Greek class, but soon finds that they are hiding some dark secrets which threaten to tear them all apart.

Why it should be a film:

I can't get the imagery out of my head! Certain moments from the book - one significant event in particular that would ruin the book's plot to go into in detail - have stuck in my mind ever since I read it for the first time. It would be a college film but one completely different from the debouched activities of Bad Neighbours or Rules of Attraction - (fun fact: the characters from Rules of Attraction have brief cameos in Secret History and vice versa as Brett Easton Ellis and Donna Tartt went to college together) it would be more ethereally beautiful yet oddly sinister like the Virgin Suicides but with the bourgeois/obnoxious charm of something like Damsels in Distress. 

Who should star:

He's getting on a lil bit now but Andrew Garfield would be perfect as Richard due to his talent for playing slightly bland and angsty outsiders. The object of Richard's affections, Camilla is said to have an angelic beauty, so who better than actual real life angel Julia Garner from Electrick Children to play her?

Orpheus Rising - Colin Bateman

What it's about: 

After his wife dies in a violent massacre, acclaimed and reclusive author Michael Ryan is forced to revisit the town where it happened for the 10th anniversary memorial. But he soon finds himself caught up in a story that transcends life, death, right and wrong, and reunites him with some faces from his past.

Why it should be a film:

I only read this book because the cover looked vaguely interesting and the word Orpheus immediately appealed to my Greek myth-loving self, and I'm constantly glad that I did. It's an odd little book - everyone that I've recommended it to has disliked it - because it covers so many genres in its pages. Put in the right hands, it could be a tight thriller, a love story, a mystery… or even better, a combination of all three and more that really do the words justice.

Who should star:

Michael hails originally from Ireland so, erm… hi Michael Fassbender. As we all know, the man can do little wrong when it comes to acting, so playing a tormented quasi-alcoholic should be easy of him.

Generation X - Douglas Coupland

What it's about:

This is a book that's about everything and also nothing. Despondent Gen X-ers Andy, Claire and Dag have escaped their "McJobs" and moved to the desert, living a simple life of booze, picnics, and storytelling. And that's basically it.

Why it should be a film:

For some reason, none of Coupland's books have ever been adapted - whether this is because their considered unfilmable or because he won't give his permission for them to be made is a mystery to me. It's understandable that someone could easily come along and ruin the genius of Generation X, but it is simply too brilliant never to be filmed. Coupland goes into such details with every aspect of his characters lives - what they look like, talk like, dress life, what they drink, what kind of stories they tell - and I need to see this on the screen!

Who should star:

Okay so this is actually a really tricky one. Ezra Miller has that mad eccentric vibe down so could be good for Dag, but the rest of the cast is a mystery. What I do know is that Gregg Araki should direct - it's full of apocalyptic doom like most of his best films after all.

Miss Misery - Andy Greenwald

What it's about:

A bored New York hipster faces a lonely summer stalking other people's blogs (this book was pre Blogspot/Tumblr so Greenwald was definitely onto something) after his girlfriend leaves to work in Europe. In order to make himself seem cool and to woo his online flame, the titular Miss Misery, he creates a "cool" blog version of himself - only to find that this doppelgänger is real and has decided to wreak havoc in his life. 

Why it should be a film:

A quote on the cover describes it as "Fight Club for hipsters", and that pretty much nails it. There have been a lot of films about doubles out recently, so why not continue the trend? It also contains a vaguely cautionary note about the "dangers" of spending too much time on the internet - you'll create a coke-sniffing douchebag DJ doppelgänger who'll try to ruin your life. It's a little tongue in cheek but there's definitely a lesson in there somewhere! Another good point about the book that will translate perfectly to the screen is its obsession with music. Every song that plays in the book is noted (Check out a full list here) so it would have a killer soundtrack. 

Who should star:

This may just be because I'm thinking about people that have played doubles already, but Sam Rockwell is so perfect at being charming buffoons AND sleazy guys that he could nail the double role with ease. Plus, the world needs more Sam Rockwell films. 

Bad Kitty - Michele Jaffe

What it's about:

Amateur sleuth unintentionally uncovers a dark mystery when she attempts to help a little boy and a cat out whilst on holiday in Vegas. Throw in her friends, country music, a pimped-out modern day Mystery Machine, a love interest and a roller disco, and you've got the new Nancy Drew.

Why it should be a film:

Firstly can I just say that people are always moaning that there are no YA books/films with people of colour as the main characters, (and yes, they are definitely onto something…) but here's an excellent one with a mixed-race, curly haired protagonist that seems to be criminally under acknowledged. The rest of the books on this list are aimed at "adults", but done properly, this could easily be a film that transcends age barriers like Mean Girls, Heathers and Clueless. Also, I haven't read it for a while, but every time I do, I still seem to find myself laughing out loud at it. Always a good sign.

Who should star:

Belle actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw for main character Jas, and Anton Yelchin, Emma Stone (is Emma Stone too old to be playing teenagers yet?!) and Juno Temple for her friends Tom, Polly and Roxy.

Black Hole - Charles Burns

What it's about:

In the 70s, the teens in a small American town all begin to develop mutations after catching a sexually transmitted disease.

Why it should be a film:

Comic book films - and not just those about superheroes - seem to work! Just look at Ghostworld! Black Hole could definitely have the same off-kilter quirky vibe that Ghostworld has, or could even be shot in black and white animation just like Persepolis. It manages to perfectly convey teen angst through just pictures and a few words, so think how well it could work on the screen.

Who should star:

Shailene Woodley would be perfect as the main character of Chris and I'm sure there's a part for Miles Teller in there somewhere… am I just listing the cast of The Spectacular Now? Um yeah probably.

Meridian - Alice Walker

What it's about:

The trials and tribulations of Meridian Hill, a young woman who abandons her child to become a Civil Rights activist, and then abandons her movement to find a more peaceful way to challenge authority.

Why it should be a film:

Can you believe that only one Alice Walker book has been turned into a film? And the end result, The Color Purple, was… let's just say interesting. But if this were done respectfully and with dedication to the source material, (can Steve McQueen direct it please?) then this could be a beautiful film. Like anything Walker writes, it's striking and deeply moving but also at times full of life and funny, and offers a unique look at the Civil Rights movement from the viewpoint of not just black but also white people involved in the movement.

Who should star:

Lupita Nyong'o, please and thank you.

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets - Eva Rice

What it's about:

Penelope lives in a crumbling castle with her "tragically beautiful" mother and wannabe rock n roll star brother. When she meets the enigmatic Charlotte and her mysterious magician cousin, her world seems ready to change.

Why it should be a film:

So yeah, this book is essentially a clone of I Capture the Castle set a few years later, but what's wrong with that? It's charming, sweet and funny, and period pieces are always fun. As this one's set in the 50s it would have a great soundtrack - Penelope and her friend Charlotte are obsessed with Johnny Ray, and Penelope's brother wants to be the new Elvis.

Who should star:

Well I was going to say that Carey Mulligan and Ben Whishaw should have the roles of Penelope and the errant magician Harry, but I got the shock of my life when I discovered that they're nearing/well into their 30s. Maybe unknown actors all round? 

All My Friends are Superheroes - Andrew Kaufman

What it's about:

Everyone in Tom's life is a superhero apart from him. On the eve of his wedding to the Perfectionist, (whose power is to make every situation in her life perfect) her ex, Hypno, hypnotises her so that she thinks that Tom is invisible. She decides to move away, and Tom has until the end of her plane journey to start a new perfect life to make her see him again.

Why it should be a film:

It's so weird and cute and quirky, basically the sort of stuff Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze live for! (ironically, the book's written by Andrew Kaufman, who, whilst sharing his name, is not the scriptwriter who's worked with Gondry and Jonze) It'd be nice to have a superhero film that's not epic and action filled like most Marvel films, and not gross and sexist like the Kick-Ass franchise. All the superheroes in this book are normal people with normal lives… they just happen to have powers too. Plus the powers that the superheroes in this book have are so weird and unique, such as TV girl, a girl who cries TV sets.

Who should star:

Jesse Eisenberg is pretty good at the slightly irritating everyman roles, and Brie Larson really needs to be in all the films ever, so she'd make a pretty good perfectionist.

Damned - Chuck Palahniuk

What it's about:

13 year old Maddy, daughter of rich and famous actors, wakes up in hell after dying from a "marijuana overdose". After forming a Breakfast Club-like motley crue of a geek, a cheerleader, a rocker and a jock, she decides to conquer the underworld and take on Satan.

Why it should be a film:

It's hard to believe that only two of Palahniuk's books have been turned into films, (the cult Fight Club and the underrated but enjoyable Choke) and the world could definitely use more of his creations popping up on the screen. Damned is as messed up as the other adaptations of his books, if not more so in fact - there's a scene where Maddy rips off a certain historical figure's moustache and then wears it as a medal - and the cinema has sorely been missing some Palahniuk mayhem for these past few years.

Who would star:

Maddy is supposed to be 13 and white, but let's be creative here - Gabourey Sidibe has proved from her turn in American Horror Story that she's adept at both being a bitch and dealing with the supernatural, so she'd be perfect.

Grace Barber-Plentie

Cannes Review: Whiplash

Music, and the suffering that goes with it, certainly seems to be the grand cinematic theme of 2014. As already mentioned here, thus-far all of the films released this year dealing with the trials and tribulations of troubadours seem to offer a very negative view of the industry. However Damien Chazelle's Whiplash, a frenetically paced dark-ish indie that was rewarded with the audience and jury prizes at Sundance seems to suggest that if your goal is to be the very best then you can, to quote Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, "get it if you really want".

The film focuses on Miles Teller's Andrew, a first year student at music school who is determined to be the next big thing, thanks to his drumming skills. He lives a secluded life - his only suggestions of a social life are his weekly cinema trips with his father and subsequent awkward attempts at forging a relationship with the cinema's concession stand girl. (This "romantic" subplot is one of the film's few weaknesses, breaking up rather than enhancing the narrative and giving Melissa Benoist a few lines to add to her resume.) All of his passion goes into his drumming, seemingly for naught until he is selected by Terence Fletcher (an equally humorous and terrifying J.K Simmons) to join his prestigious jazz band, a springboard to any job Andrew could ever want. However what Andrew does not reckon upon before joining the band is Fletcher's dedication to making his band sound the best that they possibly can be - and the lengths that he will go to to achieve this.

While it's worth noting that its dialogue is nicely written - the highlights being Fletcher's wince-inducing putdowns that he regularly bellows at the members of his band - Whiplash's narrative doesn't really bring anything new to the table. But what truly sets the film apart from others about music is its camerawork and editing. Scenes of rehearsals are breathless shot, racing down the ends of trombones, cutting to  sweat on the brows of focused musicians and bloody drumsticks clutched by desperate hands, barely giving the audience time to catch their breath. Whiplash seems to convey something different from the other musical melodramas of 2014 - it showcases not just the labour and suffering but also the success of being of a talented musician. The intimacy of the close-ups constantly used in the film is unexpected but works wonderfully as it seems to take the audience "inside" the music, rather than making them passively watch people watching a performance. The quality of the music in the film is exceptional - other than the scores of Woody Allen films or soundtracks to period films, it is a rariety to have a film that contains so much jazz music. It certainly makes a change from the moping indie musicians clinging to their guitars that we are used to seeing on the screen.

Another interesting feature of the film is the subjective viewpoint that it takes towards its main characters. We are never directly told that Fletcher is wrong for pushing Andrew to breaking point in order to get him to produce the best music possible - he can be viewed as an absolute psychopath toying with his students for his own amusement, or a genuine lover of music and a believer in perfection. Andrew too is a unique character as, similarly to Jesse Eisenberg's Mark Zuckerberg, he spends the majority of the film behaving like an absolute brat to everyone in his life, purely because he feels "better" than them due to his talent. (A scene where he insults the quarterback sons of a family friend for being popular but not "talented" is a perfect example of this) It is very, very easy to dislike him, yet when he plays, his superior stance can easily be justified.

With the great music-film slew of 2014 upon us, it would be very easy and unsurprising for Whiplash to go unnoticed compared to Oscar winning documentaries and films with Michael Fassbender in. But the raw passion of Whiplash and its protagonist easily sets it apart from the rest, making it a film that will completely absorb you, releasing you only when the final drums have sounded.

Grace Barber-Plentie

4/5

Cannes Review: Lost River

Late 2014/early 2015 is going to be a weird time for everyone. In the run up to the 2015 Oscars, we're all going to have to get used to hearing the words "Academy Award hopefuls Steve Carrell and Channing Tatum" which will never ever ever make sense. We're also going to have to stop thinking of Ryan Gosling as everyone's favourite monosyllabic "hey girl" spouting driver and instead start thinking of him as a "serious" director. And not just any director at that but.... the new David lynch?

Gosling's move from acting to directing is not really a surprise considering that his peers such as George Clooney have already successfully made the move, but the direction that he's taken stylistically may shock some. For those familiar with him purely for making out in the rain with Rachel McAdams or having a relationship with a sex doll, to see Gosling tackling a dark Detroit-based melodrama may be a shock. But to those familiar with his band Dead Man's Bones (quelle surprise, all of their songs are about death) and his work with Nicolas Winding Refn, it makes perfect sense.

Lost River, previously titled How to Catch a Monster, (upon watching the film, the former title may be a little dull but ultimately makes A LOT more sense) shows the struggles of single mother Billy and her son Bones as they try to get along in the titular town, which is allegedly cursed as it is built near a reservoir which contains the remains of an old town and dinosaur theme park. (obviously.) Billy, in an effort to keep a hold of her family home, accepts a job in a suspicious club run by the malevolent Dave (Ben Mendolson, doing his very best Leland Palmer impression) Bones meanwhile, tries to avoid the town's bully - named Bully because Gosling is VERY subtle when it comes to his narrative - who wants to punish him for muscling in on his turf. Throw in a rat, a LOT of singing and dancing, some light facial disfiguring and a Miss Haversham figure and you have the very loosest of ideas about Gosling's rambling plot. While it's admirable to have a lot of ideas for your first feature, he places things in the narrative that never come to much fruitition, and has a tendency to switch between Billy and Bones's narratives just as the former hots up - Bones is very much a one dimensional character, existing purely as an amalgamation of every silent moody outsider that Gosling has ever played.

But where the narrative is lacking, the film more than makes up for stylistically. The claims that Gosling is the new Lynch have already begun, and while his ideas may not quite live up to Lynch's unabashed madness, he certainly makes a grand go of it. In the blue and red hued scenes, the canted camerawork and the lovingly lingering close-ups of the luminous Christina Hendricks he homages the directors he has worked with multiple times - Winding Refn and Cianfrance, both of whom he states influenced the film - and even those that he hasn't such as Wong Kar Wai and Gasper Noe.

Lost River has thus far been the big divider at Cannes - in previous screenings it was received with boos, whereas in the one I attended, it was met with rapturous applause. It may not be the best film at Cannes, nor, should he continue in this path, is it the best film that Gosling can make. I haven't even began to mention the other fatal flaws in the film - its score is, to put it lightly, absolutely dire, and Matt Smith's American accent leave a lot to be desired. But for a first attempt it's certainly admirable, and manages, just like its director, to make up for any flaws it may have by looking beautiful.

Grace Barber-Plentie

3/5

Review: Frank

If there's one thing that this year in film seems to be trying to teach us, it's that being a musician REALLY sucks. From the monotonous loop of Inside Llewyn Davis to the stories of the astonishingly talented but marginalised back-up singers of 20 Feet From Stardom, one of the most glamorous and bright professions has never looked so dark. And Frank, the fourth film from Irish director Lenny Abrahamson, does a lot to reinforce this idea.

It's a film of two halves really - the first is full of laughs, a whimsical soundtrack and Michael Fassbender capering in the Irish countryside with a paper mache head on that seemingly represents the ideas we perceive of the fun it must be to be a musician, The second half, which finds the film's location shifted to America as the band await their first "big" gig at SXSW is a jarring change in tone, revealing the true darkness of mental illness, the music business and social media. We're led through both halves of the film by Domhall Gleeson's Jon, a budding musician from an unnamed suburban town who works in an office and attempts to compose (really, really awful) songs on his keyboard. After the band's keyboardist attempts to drown himself in Jon's sleepy seaside town, he finds himself being swept up into the madness of the band, simultaneously idolising and being confused by Frank.

It's a shame really that we're forced to spend so much of the film with Gleeson, because he really is one of its biggest downfalls. His simultaneously overly mannered and expressionless acting pushes the audience (or at least this audience member) away from him, when he's supposed to be a character that we really sympathise with. Because of this, every single bad thing that happened to Jon throughout the course of the film elicited a grin from me - not, as far as I know, the reaction that Abrahamson was hoping for. Luckily, the film is saved by an array of good performances from its other actors, especially Michael Fassbender's titular Frank. True, it's rare for Fassbender to give a less than excellent performance and many's been the time that his performances have saved a film from being utterly dire - Prometheus immediately springs to mind - but here he is really set free. Due to him wearing a large paper mache head, it's a highly physical performance, and it's an utter delight to see a normal straight laced and sinister character actor leaping around. Scoot McNairy is also excellent as the band's manager and ex-keyboard player who, just like Frank has a dark yet oddly comical quirk, and although her character's rather one note, Maggie Gyllenhaal really puts her all in.

To quote the film itself - how to describe Frank? It's rather hard, owing to the film's fragmented nature. Just as you settle into the tone of the film, it abruptly changes, and while I found myself enjoying both halves of it, the latter, and especially the film's final musical number, is what I found lingering in my mind. Frank tries to comment on a lot of issues, some more successfully than others, but Abrahamson has certainly made a valiant effort to say a lot in a short amount of time. But despite all of its faults, the film is really about two things - the music and Fassbender. If you're looking to see thought-provoking comments about social issues, then this may not be for you. But if all you really want is to see everyone's favourite Irish/German actor playing guitar in a variety of cardigans and a giant head, then you've found your perfect film.

3/5

Grace Barber-Plentie

Sundance London Review: Obvious Child

In years to come, when we live in a less uptight society, Obvious Child won't seem like an important film at all. I'm sure in ten, or twenty, or even fifty years it'll still be a very funny film, but it (hopefully) won't be a film that, in 2014, could be seen as making a shocking and dramatic statement. Because, dear reader, Obvious Child is A FILM ABOUT ABORTION.

And, the scandal continues, because not only is Obvious Child a film about abortion, but it is also a rom-com about abortion. "Those damn revolutionaries!" you may cry. "First someone - a woman no less - has the audacity to make a film about abortion, and then they taint the most beloved of cinematic genres with it!" Well, not quite. The abortion subject matter in Obvious Child is treated just how it should be in real life - as a medical procedure that is at times traumatising and thought-provoking, but, in her current situation, what is right for the film's protagonist. And the film is all the more delightful for it.

Obvious Child is, of course, not just about the A word. Being a rom-com, there is of course a lovey-dovey side to the film. Donna, played delightfully by Jenny Slate, has just been "dumped-up-with" by her boyfriend who has, charming guy that he is, been cheating on her with her best friend. After a disastrous stand-up set in which she drunkely vents about the pair, she meets Max, who is pretty much the opposite of her "type". But, several drinks and some dancing to Paul Simon later, they have a one night stand. However, as she keeps running into Max in true rom-com style, she starts to realise that she may actually like him… whilst trying to decide whether or not to tell him that she's pregnant.

What's wonderful about Obvious Child is that, aside from the abortion subject matter, the film is just your average New York rom-com. Except in this film, there are no manic pixie dream girls and creepy nice guys. Donna is a character that feels real and believable - She's like Frances from Frances Ha's crude little sister, or a 21st century Annie Hall. The guy she falls for seems nice, but not perfect. Donna's friends aren't quirky waifs with modelish good looks offering her romantic advice - instead she has Gaby Hoffman, on perfect form as usual, peeing and describing her own pregnancy whilst Donna anxiously waits for her pregnancy test. Obvious Child isn't really trying to be new or revolutionary - instead it just wants to give us a genre that we all know and love, but with characters and situations that viewers may actually be able to connect with.

To summarise, I really can't recommend this film enough. It may not have the beautiful cinematography of Frances Ha, or the quirky group of friends from Girls, but it's just the right combination of crude and sweet to become every bit as successful as each of them. Plus, it's the first of what I hope will be many films not to shy away from the big A, and actually manage to crack some decent jokes about it.

4/5

Grace Barber-Plentie

Review: The Double

When an artist announces a sophomore piece of work, it's always treated with caution by critics - "Will it be as good as the first one? If the first one wasn't that great, will this one be better?" The "difficult second album/film/book etc" is always tricky territory, yet Richard Ayoade should breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to his second film.

The film, loosely based on a Dostoyevsky (a name that copy and paste was surely invented for) novella, tells the tale of lonely office worker Simon James, (a pathetic Jesse Eisenberg) who spends his days being forgotten by pretty much everyone in his life, working in a glorious ramshackle data-processing office, and staring at the girl of his dreams, Hannah, through a telescope, too scared to approach. But just as a sinister neighbour manages to bring him and Hannah together, his tentative attempts to forge a relationship are ruined by his exact double, James Simon (a cocky Jesse Eisenberg) showing up and wreaking havoc in Simon's life.

It's a pretty simple concept, which allows all the more room in the film for Ayoade's clear eye for detail and more cinematic experimentation than his previous film, Submarine. While Submarine was a good film, and definitely an achievement for a first-time director, there were times when it felt a little like a play-by-numbers copy of the techniques used by Wes Anderson and the directors of the New Wave. Here, Ayoade has more range to create an off-kilter world, somewhere that is not quite England, and just like his previous feature, shows no obvious signs of being set in a specific decade. The lighting in the film in particular is admirable and striking - none of the lighting is natural, due to the difficulties maintaining lighting whilst having two Eisenberg's appear in the the same frame - certain scenes, such as a brief few seconds where an elated Simon twirls down a halfway, the lights behind him changing to various primary colours, are a pure delight to behold.

Many have been critical of Ayoade's use of cinematic homage, and while the influences of various directors range from obvious (Terry Gilliam, David Lynch, Billy Wilder and the Coen Brothers to name but a few) to slight, knowing little references, (I spotted tiny homages to Kieslowski and Carax, although I could've just been reading too much into the film) in my personal opinion this in no way lessens the brilliance of The Double. Directors such as Tarantino and Scorsese are constantly praised for their dedication to cinema, and for the knowing little references in their films, so why can the same not be said here? Ayoade's love of cinema, and his careful dedication to making every single shot look just so clearly shines through the film. There are sadly a handful of problems with the film - it feels almost boring to moan about the film's central female character, but there are many problems with her, and the film's ending is rather jarring, clearly aspiring for Fight Club-level cleverness whilst in fact coming off as a little confusing. But despite these faults, there is a lot of joy to be found in Ayoade's "difficult second film", which seems ironic considering such joy comes from a film that is about being utterly downtrodden and miserable.

3/5 (Real to Reel has finally caught up with the rest of the world and has implemented a star rating system!)

Grace Barber-Plentie