No warmth or soul here
- L'Amant Double review by TE
Flashy, tricksy film with no substance. It plays with the various permutations of "twins", but not in any satisfying or meaningful way.
Slick cleverness triumphs over character and narrative, making for an empty viewing experience.
The film also trots out the ancient stereotype that women are somehow irresistibly drawn to violent, abusive lovers.
Very disappointing from Ozon.
2 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Jaw-dropping psycho-sexual mystery
- L'Amant Double review by Alphaville
Although promoted as an erotic thriller, this is more of a mystery than a thriller and will be too deliberately paced for many. It’s lifted out of the ordinary by its weirdness, its erotic charge and Francois Ozon’s faultless direction. The stunning opening close-up, for example, dissolves from a vulva into an eye.
All you need to know is that our heroine gets herself involved with two psychiatrists, who are physically identical but have very different personalities. If you don’t know what trisomy is, you will after this, to say nothing of the medical condition that leads to the film’s climax.
The DVD includes an interesting interview in which the director talks about the techniques he used (split screen, zooms, mirrors etc.) to add playfulness to the film. If only he’d added a faster pace and more danger. Worth a watch, though.
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Camp, silly, flawed
- L'Amant Double review by MN
If you've seen any of Ozon's films you know that they are always titillating and rather silly. This one is a fairly extreme example that mixes camp with body horror. There are some groanworthy twists but it is rather visceral and does a few things well. Would recommend Cronenberg's 'Dead Ringers' over this any day though!
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
potentially
- L'Amant Double review by AH
a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time a waste of your valuable time
1 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
Pathetic Nonsense
- L'Amant Double review by EJ
What the heck! Trying to be too clever and producing a ridiculous nonsense movie. Literally left us wanting to vomit! What a mixed up, ugly film.
1 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Tedious
- L'Amant Double review by NW
I agree with the two other reviewers. Tedious and pretentious. How this film, or either of the lead actors, got nominated for a awards is beyond me.
1 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Dire, Simply Dire
- L'Amant Double review by DT
Cannot find the words but a few which occur: mindless, talentless, thoughtless, clueless etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc
0 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Mirror Images
- L'Amant Double review by CH
The double – Dr. Jekyll, Dorian Gray – is a theme upon which many a variant has been made, along with growing conflicts between twin-born children (Elizabethan drama, eighteenth-century novels). The prolific director François Ozon turned to this with L' amant double (2017), adapted at some removes from a novel by the even more prolific Joyce Carol Oates.
Slickly filmed, in chic offices and apartments, the plot turns around Marine Vacth who, after a career as a model feels rootless, feels beset by childhood traumas and amatory dissatisfactions; these take her to a psychiatrist, Jérémie Renier; a passion springs up, which means he can no longer treat her, a situation compounded by their moving in together despite his lack of sympathy for her faithful cat, Milo.
So far, so much Eric Rohmer, you might think. Early on, in the opening moments, viewers have, though, been greeted by medical close-ups along a vagina which is lit to feel rather like a fairground ride. Mirrors are frequently broken; intimate moments are seemingly attended by others, including Renier's twin brother whom Marine Vacth has sought out as a replacement therapist.
This is certainly a new twist on transference.
Events long past certainly have a continuing effect on all this, for all concerned (not least Jacqueline Bisset, who has, naturally enough, two smaller rôles, effectively done).
Is all this worth one's time? Probably not, but Ozon is an accomplished, if variable director who supplies enough here to hold, if vex, the attention: there is interesting biology to be learned here from the nature of twindom, but, as it turns upon the screen, buy-one-get-one-free is not necessarily the best value for us.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
Jolly Jumelle Jaunt
- L'Amant Double review by CH
quasi scientific Greek medical myth, merges with French Freudian, erotically charged anecdotal noir nonsense from Francois Ozon. Some slick camera angles with mirroirs and spiral staircases. Do yourself a favour here, go for a run, read a book, rewatch a favourite film, clean your windows, start your tax returns…….
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
A provocative, erotic & adult drama which keeps you guessing, with good performances & direction
- L'Amant Double review by TB
François Ozon continues his run of provocative, unpredictable but also engrossing films. Whilst many of the other reviews criticised the length and pace of this film, for me it was actually pretty well balanced.
The story is about a woman called Chloé, who when we meet her is suffering from unexplained abdominal pains. She is told that nothing is wrong with her physically and that she should consult a psychiatrist. She goes to see Paul and the two eventually become romantically involved & move in together. However, she discovers that Paul is concealing his real identity, which starts to really mess with Chloé and her emotions.
One of the things I liked most about the film was the fact that it did not take any shortcuts and really leaned into the erotic & sexually duplicitous side of the story. This is a properly adult-film/thriller, with committed performances from both actors. The script also has enough moments to keep you guessing and the twists are really well worked into the story.
If you are expecting a quick moving & fast-paced story, there is no point you watching. This film takes its time setting up the story & slowly ratcheting up the tension. The result is a solid & intriguing film, well-worth your time and attention.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.