Erotic and mystical, a wondrous search for transcendence.
The Double Life of Veronique (1991)
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Reviews Counted:25
Fresh:21
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.6/10
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Synopsis: Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski, creator of the masterful THREE COLORS TRILOGY, presents this enigmatic, philosophical drama about duality in the modern world. Weronika (Irene Jacob), a young... Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski, creator of the masterful THREE COLORS TRILOGY, presents this enigmatic, philosophical drama about duality in the modern world. Weronika (Irene Jacob), a young Polish woman, embraces each aspect of her life with zeal. She has many friendships, sexual and platonic, and a variety of interests. A serious heart ailment, however, debilitates her periodically, but she refuses to let it hold her back. On her way to a singing contest, she sees a woman who is her spitting image. Weronika tries to catch the look-alike's attention, but fails. The second woman, the French Veronique (Jacob), is also a gifted singer yet she rejects this talent to teach at a primary school. Eventually she, too, senses the presence of another force in her life, but it isn't until Alexandre (Philippe Volter), an artist, appears that she finally recognizes this for certain. Kieslowski's superb film is a lyrical study of the divided but inextricably linked worlds of Eastern and Western Europe, featuring two remarkable, soul-bearing performances by the gorgeous Jacob. [More]
Starring: Irčne Jacob, Sandrine Dumas, Aleksander Bardini, Louis Ducreux
Starring: Irčne Jacob, Sandrine Dumas, Aleksander Bardini, Louis Ducreux, Claude Duneton, Halina Gryglaszewska, Kalina Jedrusik, Phillipe Volter
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
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Reviews for The Double Life of Veronique
This movie achieves a rare grace: it tells a story that could only exist in the form of a movie (or, perhaps, as a piece of poetry).
If Double Life is arguably only half as rewarding as some of Kieslowski's other films, then it remains an indelible entry in an outstanding career.
If Kieslowski's overarching metaphors about Weronika/Veronique seem strained, Jacob's sensuous and delicately nuanced performance will double your pleasure.
It could be written off as blithe New Age-ism, if it weren’t for Kieslowski’s near metaphysical sense for emotional storytelling.
The parts do not quite fit, and anyway this is not a puzzle to be assembled. It is a romance about those moments we all sometimes have when we think we see ourselves at a distance.
It wants to be mysterious, yet there is no mystery. It wants to be psychologically logical, but it ends up being ineptly illogical.
Kieslowski's most lyrical and metaphsical film, with a haunting performance from Irene Jacob, is also one of his most bizarre and enigmatic works--by design.
Compelling, challenging and irresistibly beautiful, this delicate metaphysical masterpiece only emphasises how much cinema lost through Krzysztof Kieslowski's tragically early death.
This is a perfect example of a situation where a film doesn't have to make sense to be a compelling and wonderful film experience.
While this is the film that set the stage aesthetically for Kieslowski's masterful Three Colors trilogy, it is more mysterious than any of those films.
Don't even attempt to resolve that paradox, and The Double Life of Veronique will work on its own poetic terms.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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