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TNL Movie Club - Dead Ringers
Ok, none of the movies I wanted to pick were on Netflix Instant, but I picked one that is at least on Netflix's disc selection, as well as very easy to find on various public torrent sites, so I don't want to hear too much grousing about availability.
Anyway, on with the movie...
http://www.the-nextlevel.com/tnl/att...1&d=1293934123
Dead Ringers
I've had David Cronenberg on my mind this week, and I realize most TNLers haven't seen many of his movies, so this seemed like a good time.
Dead Ringers, released in 1988, was a real turning point for Cronenberg. It was his first movie to tell a story grounded in reality, without any science fiction or paranormal elements. Despite this, he uses the tools he developed directing horror movies to gut-wrenching effect in an intense psychological drama that borders on the horror genre in its execution, if not its subject matter.
It tells the story of two identical twin gynecologists, Elliot and Beverly Mantle, with an intensely co-dependent relationship (likened to conjoined twins through allegory throughout the film). This extends to both their professional and personal lives.
Elliot is the mouthpiece for the pair, delivering lectures and doing public appearances, while Beverly does the bulk of the actual research. Elliot is also the charmer, and seduces women before switching places with Beverly, unbeknownst to the women.
Beverly, who is unable to seduce women on his own, falls for one of his brother's conquests, an actress named Claire. He becomes territorial, wanting to keep her to himself, driving a rift between the brothers for the first time. I'll let you enjoy the film without too much detail, but it gets very dark as the twins try to "separate" themselves.
Jeremy Irons gives an absolutely Oscar-caliber double performance that is incredibly nuanced and subtle, yet still portrays the two characters as different enough that you can tell them apart without the need for trite visual cues. It's an intense, disturbing, unforgettable movie, one of my favorites of the '80s.
