DOPPELGANGER
US, 1993, 104 minutes, Colour.
Drew Barrymore, George Newbern, Dennis Christopher, Leslie Hope, Sally Kellerman, George Maharis, Dan Shor.
Directed by Avi Nesher.
This is a not particularly good slasher film, made just before slashers became fashionable. Drew Barrymore plays a young woman who is haunted by the past, the deaths of her family. She sees a double of herself, a severe woman who appears at inopportune times. Is this real – and the finale has the doppelganger appearing, a mysterious monstrous figure who separates into the good part and the bad part and then reunites. The question is whether she is suffering from multiple personality or not. Her sinister doctor (Dennis Christopher) urges her to think this, and even, rather ludicrously, pretends at times to be the doppelganger. George Newbern is the genial young man (named Patrick Highsmith, memories of crime writer Patricia Highsmith) who lets her stay with him and becomes romantically involved. Leslie Hope is his former girlfriend, co-writer on a project of doing a horror version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Sally Kellerman does her usual shtick as an ex-nun who works at a sex phone service. This was the last film of George Maharis.
The director is an Israeli director who studied in the United States, made films in Israel in the 1980s, made films in the United States, mainly thrillers, in the 1990s and then returned to Israel while still doing some work in the United States.
1. A satisfying thriller? Horror? Slasher?
2. The American city settings, New York and Los Angeles? The homes in Los Angeles, the mansions, the offices, restaurants? The open skies? The musical score?
3. The title, audience awareness of what a doppelganger was? As dramatised here, Holly’s doppelganger and her sinister aspects? Doctor Heller exploiting it? The appearance of the monster at the end, separating into two personalities, combining again?
4. The story of Holly, in New York, the background of her parents’ deaths, her brother in an institution? The violence and the blood at the opening? Her treatment by Doctor Heller? Multiple personality or doppelganger? Arriving in Los Angeles, looking for accommodation, interview with Patrick, moving in? The relationship with him – herself, another personality, the doppelganger? Her pleasantness at home, Patrick’s sighting the double from the restaurant? Patrick and his driving Holly to see the house? Listening to her story, her parents’ death? His wariness of her erratic behaviour? His driving her to see her brother? Holly and the results, her fears? Doctor Heller, her reaction to him? His controlling her? The final manifestation of the doppelganger – and her future?
5. Patrick, a writer, winning the competition when young, the collaboration with the Elizabeth, Breakfast at Tiffany’s as a horror film? His personal life, accepting Holly, attracted, the relationship? The aftermath? His puzzle about the doppelganger? Driving Holly? His being haunted by the variety of characters, the agents, the producer? At the social, Holly and her dancing? His relationship with Elizabeth. The past, collaboration, her helping him?
6. The visit to Sister Jan? A plausible character or not? The ex-nun, the phone-sex exchange, her information about doppelgangers?
7. Mike Wallace, showing Holly the house? His concern about her?
8. Doctor Heller, his control, his explanations, treatment of Holly’s brother? The impersonation, his being unmasked, his madness?
9. The climax, the treatment of the brother, the knives, stabbings? Elizabeth and her interventions?
10. The resolution – Holly normal or not? Relationship with Patrick?
11. How satisfying a psycho-horror film? Or not?
