WatchSeeLookView Month At The LFF - Duplicate (2018)

Surprisingly, given my tendency towards that which both science-y and fiction-y, this is the first sci-fi related film for the fest. Although, in reality, the sci-fi trappings are really just a hook for a character-based piece..
(This is definitely one of those films that it’s best going into without really knowing anything about it. I’ll try to avoid being spoiler-y but apologies if I don’t quite manage it.)

Duplicate
Dir. Bill Oliver / Dur. 95 mins

In A Nutshell:- Jonathan, a man apparently slaved to his routine, begins his day by reviewing a video message from the identical looking but far more relaxed looking John, relating the events of his day. Johnathan ends his day by leaving a similar message...

The Good:- It’s a tightly directed low budget affair held together by the central dual performance from Ansel Elgort. I must admit, I’d seen him in Baby Driver and didn't really think that much of him in that (which was in part due to the way the role was written) but here he definitely showed his acting chops, credibly creating two separate characters. Also, the decision to tell the story from only one of the characters’ point of view creates a real sense of tension and genuine disquiet as to what the other character is getting up to. The device of utilising video messages as the only way for the two main characters to communicate also works very well. For a debut feature film, there’s a real sense of confidence and assuredness about it on Bill Oliver’s part.

The Bad:- The actual explanation for the main characters’ situation is very much there as a hook to hang the story from and feels a little bit like it’s best not to think about it too much. There’s also a late reveal about their situation that feels like it’s there to introduce the possibility of a life-threatening device purely to drive the tension of the final act. These are, however, minor niggles that in no way spoiled my enjoyment.

The Verdict:- An enjoyable character piece with strong performance(s) from Ansel Elgort. I’d definitely be interested to see what Bill Oliver comes up for his next project.

Festival Tidbit:- Not too much I can share on this one really as the director Q&A delved into the specifics of the film and I don’t want to give too much away.

Next Time:- Let’s keep things high concept with a satire on race in a corporate environment and the nature of capitalism which is surprisingly nowhere near as heavy as it sounds...