Monday 14 July 2014

Film Review: Enemy



Enemy is the latest movie from director Denis Villeneuve - starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Melanie Laurent and Sarah Gadon, it's a tense paranoia-filled thriller that will leave your brain whirring for days afterwards. 


Adam Bell (Jake Gyllenhaal) lives a quiet life in Canada - he works as a history lecturer at a local university, he has an attractive girlfriend (Melanie Laurent) and everything is chugging along nicely. One day, upon being recommended a movie by a co-worker, Adam is rocked by the discovery that his exact doppelgänger, Anthony Claire, works as an actor and appears in movies.

Shaken by this eerie revelation, Adam begins to hunt his identical twin to find answers. After confronting Anthony, Adam becomes entangled in a web of lies and paranoia from which it is hard to escape...

First off, it is worth noting that the above synopsis doesn't do Enemy justice in the slightest. There is a lot more going on here than I have written, but for the sake of enjoying the film I suggest you go in as fresh as possible. So, having no preconceptions, what did I think?

Well, I found that the film started out kind of slow, but that doesn't mean there isn't anything going on. Right from the first scene, director Denis Villeneuve is drip-feeding the audience clues to what mystery behind Enemy. It's when things get more complex later on that the movie starts to get the cogs in your brain turning. It's a slowburner, one that gets you thinking more and more as it plods along. Whether you can make sense of it all, is something else entirely. Enemy leaves you to join the dots, so be forewarned - this is a movie that'll leave you loaded with questions for days afterwards. Don't worry, the answers are there - you just have to pour some thought into it.

More than that, it's a film packed with lots to say as items like keys and spiders conceal hidden meanings. It'll no doubt take repeat viewings to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. I myself had to seek an explanation on the obscure motifs and themes and how they interlock; fear, commitment, responsibility, temptation and paranoia all feed into the narrative.

Visually, Enemy is a very diluted film, drenched in a palette of yellow and brown. It's a style that reflects the films' eerie and predatory atmosphere. This makes cinematography and direction a real highlight in Enemy, with this haunting colour palette drenching the film in a stark mix of light and shadow. The equally haunting score is loaded with taut strings that only heighten the sense of paranoia and claustrophobia. The film might not be the most simplistic to follow or answer every question it throws your way in a narrative sense, but artistically, the movie excels in a way that is easy to appreciate.

Simply Hitchcockian in the way it builds suspense and keeps you guessing, Villeneuve even recalls the legendary director through its shock ending and inclusion of icy blondes (Laurent and Gadon). Both actresses are great in this film, particularity Gadon as Anthony's heavily pregnant wife Helen.

Gyllenhaal's performance is the real winner though as he balances the contrasting personalties of Alex and Anthony throughout the film. Switching between wiry and loaded with paranoia to a more conniving and confident character, Gyllenhaal flits between the two with ease. He really gets to work with some meaty material here, and just like his past work on films like Brokeback Mountain, End of Watch and Prisoners, he comes up trumps.

If you want a movie spoon-fed to you, Enemy is not your friend. You will not get it straight out of the box, I guarantee it. It'll take thought, discussion and speculation to make meaning of it all. But if you want something surreal, something that has many hidden meanings and symbolic items, Enemy will be right up your alley.

The Verdict: 8.5/10


Gyllenhaal delivers a powerful dual performance, with Laurent and Gadon reinforcing some seriously Hitchcockian vibes. Villeneuve's direction is sublime, and the end result is a hypnotic, surreal and erotically-charged thriller that keeps you hooked by asking more questions that it answers. Whether or not you 'get it', it's worth checking out.

12 comments:

  1. This was certainly an interesting one, and I also had to do a little research on it afterwards the try and fully grasp it, haha. Nice review. :)

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    1. Thanks Chris :) I found this great video by a YouTuber called Chris Stuckmann that broke it down for me, even including some stuff that seemed totally innocuous!

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  2. Enemy was quite intriguing! After watching it, I was certainly scratching my head, but I really love it when that happens. I've never looked up any theories or anything, and I plan to keep it that way! ha

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    1. Ooh, but you're missing out! Putting all the pieces together was so satisfying and made me appreciate the film a lot more, especially that seriously creepy final minute. Each to their own, I think I like having my head clear on what went on - defiantly one of the most memorable movies so far this year! Thanks for commenting Tanner :)

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  3. I'm with Tanner. I was totally baffled, but I refuse to seek out an explanation. I'd rather smile through the headache, if that makes sense....Solid review!

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    1. Fair enough! I watched this movie late at night and just knew I wouldn't be able to sleep without knowing how! Thanks for comment :)

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  4. Keep hearing great this about Enemy. Gyllenhaal is impressing me more and more with the films he makes. Plus, I enjoyed his previous work with Villeneuve -- Prisoners. Looking forward to this!

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    1. Prisoners was awesome! A very chilling movie, both Gyllenhaal and Jackman were fantastic. Definitely check out Enemy, it's seriously great. Thanks for commenting! :)

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  5. Awesome comparison to Hitchcock, it didn't occur me! Loved the movie, one of my favorites this year.

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    1. Thanks Sati! I agree, definitely on my Top 10 for the year, no doubt :)

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  6. Boy I still need to see this one, but I'm definitely intrigued. I like suspenseful films and your comparison to Hitchcock makes me even more keen in checking this out.

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  7. Thanks for commenting Ruth! :) Be sure to check it out, I was pretty impressed :)

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