Review of The Double Life of Véronique (1991) by Eric F — 16 Jul 2008

Ever since I was a child, I had always wondered if there was another one of me out there. I'm not alone in this curiosity... I think it's something we have all considered at one point or another in our lives. Because really, how many possibilities are there? Can there really be six billion people with completely distinguishable character traits and facial structures? Even in a completely random fashion, there are certainly possibilities for almost duplicates... doppelgangers, if you want to call them that. When I consider this theme, the first thing that comes to my mind is the Olsen twins' movie "It Takes Two". Well, needless to say, "The Double Life of Veronique" certainly explores this topic much more maturely and deeply. It also certainly leaves a lot more questions to be asked.

Two women, Weronika and Veronique (both played by Irene Jacob), are born on the same day. Weronkia was born in Poland, and Veronique was born in France. Although they grow up in completely different environments, their fate seems linked. Both women pursue a career in music, and both have a heart condition. These women never meet, and will never meet really meet during the film. The only time their paths truly cross is when Veronique see's Weronika get onto a bus, and Weronika takes a picture of Veronique. Shortly thereafter, Weronika dies during a musical performance.

Once Weronika dies, the story instantly shifts to Veronique. We don't really ever get interlacing plot in the first act of the film, which is good as that would've been extraordinarily hard to keep up with (in what is already a very challenging film). Veronique's life now becomes a mystery - a children's author and puppeteer starts sending her strange messages to receive her attention. He calls her and hangs up, sends her an empty box of cigars, sends her a shoelace, and a tape of sounds from a cafe. What does this man want to do? Why is he getting her attention? Well, that's never really clear. He's studying to write a novel, and he seems to somehow know of the dual Veroniques. As a puppeteer, he almost plays a godlike figure - making the viewer question the ideas of fate vs. free will.

This is an extraordinarily beautiful movie. It's never exactly "entertaining" in terms of flashing directing, silly dialogue, or a fast paced narrative - but it's never boring. The whole film feels like you're peering into someone else's dream. It's haunting, challenging, and not all of the pieces seem to fit exactly together. You seem to hover over these people's lives, just observing - not knowing anything really for sure. Don't get me wrong, this isn't exactly a mystery film... but it's certainly not your typical linear plot.

This is the fourth film i've seen from Krzysztof Kieslowski after his masterpiece "Three Colors" trilogy. His ideas are obscure and original, and the films don't leave your head anytime soon after you watch it. This is, in my opinion, what makes a great film. If you enjoy something until it ends, and then you can simply move on with your life - that's not the mark of something truly brilliant. It's the films that leave you breathless for days... the ones that leave you feeling a new sense of awareness, that are truly timeless. And "The Double Life of Veronique" is certainly something that'll keep me up tonight, and the rest of the week.

While I am praising this film, I cannot say that I loved everything about it. While it was at all times visually interesting, it wasn't exactly emotionally interesting. While it's wonderful for what it is, what stops it from being perfect is that the characters aren't exactly memorable. This is a film where the mind behind it is truly the star. Irene Jacob, although absolutely perfect and an extremely wonderful actress, was fairly disposable when it comes all down to it. This isn't about Veronique, it's about an idea.

This film reminded me of a lot of other films i've seen within the past year. It's playful treasure hunt that leads to a cafe was reminiscent of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Amélie", and it's philosophy was similar to Richard Linklater's in "Waking Life". If this isn't a mere coincidence - then I guess it shows why both respective films are so great. When you copy ideas from a mastermind like Kieslowski, you're bound to come out with magic.