Film Review: Enemy (15) (Canada/Spain 2013) (Director: Denis Villeneuve), Filmhouse, Screen Three, Edinburgh, Saturday 03.01.2015, 20:35

I was drawn to this film due to the fact that it is another film staring Jake Gyllenhall and directed by Denis Villeneuve, who previously worked together on 'Prisoners' (2013). Jake plays a university history lecturer who is listless and disinterested in life. A colleague suggests a film he may enjoy and within that film he sees his exact doppelganger who he then pursues. I don't wish to say more regarding the plot, though do feel it is fare to say that the film approaches the idea of a doppelganger in a fresh manner. 

The film makes very good use of lighting to induce a queasy/twilight sort of quality. The editing is done in a manner that, along with Jake's nuanced acting, gives the film a  mysterious/enigmatic quality. Having given the film my full concentration, I am still unraveling it now the day after having seen it. It is not often that can be said in these times where most filmmakers feel they have to spell out exactly what is happening. The sudden ending is both bamboozling and revealing, as long as you don't allow the bamboozling element to lead you to dismiss what you have seen.  

I feel this is a fundamentally more interesting film than 'Prisoners', as good as that was, though don't feel I can go quite as far as saying it is excellent. Jake is developing quite a habit of making very good films that are not quite excellent. I find myself having to give the same rating as 'Prisoners' & 'Nightcrawler' (2014). 

Rating: 09/10.