Review of The Double Life of Véronique (1991) by Mattias E — 09 Aug 2009

This is not going to be an easy review to write, and it has taken me a while to gather my thoughts. This is a very unconventional movie and most of what happens in it happens well below the surface. It?s also nearly impossible to analyze without spoiling the whole thing. I tried looking up Roger Ebert?s take on it, but even he seemed at a bit of a loss of words as to how to describe it to someone who hasn?t seen it.

The film was directed by Krzysztof Kie?lowski, a filmmaker I got off on the wrong foot with. I found him film ?Blue? to be pretentious and boring, and I didn?t want to bite off his ten part series ?The Decalogue? before I knew I could chew it. This movie on the other hand was captivating from the moment it started until the moment it ended. It?s the sort of thing that makes me want to give Blue another shot.

The burden of carrying this entire film rests on the shoulders of the French actress Irène Jacob who plays both the Polish singer Weronika and the French singer Véronique. Neither woman knows the other one but they both share an indefinable bond. But the film?s central mystery is not how these women are connected, but what lays in their head. The Veronicas emote a certain state of mind that just makes forces you to examine them, you NEED to know what makes them tick. Jabob clearly deserved the award she won at the Cannes film festival.

What?s more it is a great technical achievement, S?awomir Idziak?s cinematography is among the most beautiful I?ve ever seen. The film looks mostly natural, but it is also drenched in rich beautiful colors. Even the indoor shots look like they were filmed at magic hour.

I cannot articulate the feelings this movie evokes, it just needs to be experienced. This is what ?art? movies are supposed to be.