Dead Ringers (B or 3/4 stars)
'Dead Ringers' (directed by oddball, David Cronenberg, The Fly) stars Jeremy Irons in a dual role as Drs. Beverly & Elliot Mantle; brilliant Toronto-based twins who operate an exclusive, innovative gynecological clinic. Both men are unusually close, so much so that they regularly pretend to be each other to share lovers! The film shows us that the various female patients going to see one of these doctors might end up being seen by the other (cruel brotherly inside joke, huh?). But that's only the start of their deception! We find out that Elliot has always being the more assured/aggressive of the 2 brothers, & that it is his practice to seduce his patients and then turn them over to the shy & passive Beverly - all without telling said patient, of course.
A famous, but troubled actress, Claire Niveau (Genevieve Bujold), then enters the plot; consulting the twins about why she cannot bear children. The answer? She is a "fabulously rare" trifurcate: having 3 openings to her uterus {quite the deformity}. The problem with this is that the dominant sperm is likely to get caught at the intersection. Claire begins a wild love affair with the quieter Beverly. They make love often; but so, too, does he engage in her intense drug/alcohol habit. The drugs seem to release a craziness/manic demeanor in Beverly (which may have always laid dormant inside of him), and although a concerned Elliot tries to cover for him, their (already) twisted lives fall apart at the seams. Descents into madness ensue.
David Cronenberg is one sick muther {haha}. What he's done here is create an intense, horrifying, creepy, macabre tale about complex relationships, separation anxiety, mortality, & mental disintegration (mostly THIS). 'Dead Ringers' is not an upbeat film. There is perverse, visceral gore. In one sequence (near the end), Beverly invents new, bizarre, gynecological instruments & uses them in a bloody operation. This is after Beverly and (consequently) Elliot start having dual delusions about 'mutant women'. However, though it's not upbeat, it IS inherently watchable (like a slow-motion train wreck that you can't tear you eyes from).
Jeremy Irons is marvelous playing this dual role (one dominant, one inferior). As twins, he plays them similarly ... obviously. But you can also tell which brother is which because he lends so much nuance to them both. He just embodies them extremely well. THEN ... when you get past the physical acting, Irons is also superb at conveying the men 'inside'; cold, clinical, brilliant, but sadly deranged. Genevieve Bujold is also excellent as the sophisticated, but troubled actress, Claire. Like Irons, she has an incredibly watchable presence. 'Dead Ringers' is a quality film. Stylish. You can't argue with how well it's made. But it's hard to love because it's so cold, creepy, & bleak. You can't 'enjoy' the film. You watch intensely; grimace; get shocked, & then it's over. The film's emotional impact (which is always important) is not nearly as strong as its performances, technical precision, & enticingly demented plot points.
A famous, but troubled actress, Claire Niveau (Genevieve Bujold), then enters the plot; consulting the twins about why she cannot bear children. The answer? She is a "fabulously rare" trifurcate: having 3 openings to her uterus {quite the deformity}. The problem with this is that the dominant sperm is likely to get caught at the intersection. Claire begins a wild love affair with the quieter Beverly. They make love often; but so, too, does he engage in her intense drug/alcohol habit. The drugs seem to release a craziness/manic demeanor in Beverly (which may have always laid dormant inside of him), and although a concerned Elliot tries to cover for him, their (already) twisted lives fall apart at the seams. Descents into madness ensue.
David Cronenberg is one sick muther {haha}. What he's done here is create an intense, horrifying, creepy, macabre tale about complex relationships, separation anxiety, mortality, & mental disintegration (mostly THIS). 'Dead Ringers' is not an upbeat film. There is perverse, visceral gore. In one sequence (near the end), Beverly invents new, bizarre, gynecological instruments & uses them in a bloody operation. This is after Beverly and (consequently) Elliot start having dual delusions about 'mutant women'. However, though it's not upbeat, it IS inherently watchable (like a slow-motion train wreck that you can't tear you eyes from).
Jeremy Irons is marvelous playing this dual role (one dominant, one inferior). As twins, he plays them similarly ... obviously. But you can also tell which brother is which because he lends so much nuance to them both. He just embodies them extremely well. THEN ... when you get past the physical acting, Irons is also superb at conveying the men 'inside'; cold, clinical, brilliant, but sadly deranged. Genevieve Bujold is also excellent as the sophisticated, but troubled actress, Claire. Like Irons, she has an incredibly watchable presence. 'Dead Ringers' is a quality film. Stylish. You can't argue with how well it's made. But it's hard to love because it's so cold, creepy, & bleak. You can't 'enjoy' the film. You watch intensely; grimace; get shocked, & then it's over. The film's emotional impact (which is always important) is not nearly as strong as its performances, technical precision, & enticingly demented plot points.