Enemy

Denis Villeneuve returns with this new thriller of sorts that is not a million miles away from fellow Canadian David Cronenberg.  Adam, a history teacher discovers her has a double, an actor he sees in a movie.  Obsessed by meeting this man he tracks him down and starts to find out details of the actor’s life – he has a pregnant wife and lives in a nice area, etc.  Meanwhile the actor’s wife suspects that Adam’s calls are related to her husband being unfaithful and that Adam is the grieved husband. It doesn’t take long to work out that not all the characters are real and part of it is taking place in the main character’s head.  But who is who?  There are car crashes, wife swapping, Isabella Rossellini as the mum and giant spiders.  A symbolic puzzle of a movie based on a story by José Saramago.  Say no more.  Intriguing up to a point, very slow moving and somewhat successful in execution.  Internet abounds with forums as to what the film actually means and who knows if we have got it or not.  Does it even matter?  Jake Gyllenhaal is apt in the lead. 

Some will want to watch it again – me not just yet.

★★★