The Double (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Justin Y

  
  Michael Brandt puts together just enough of a crime thriller with <i>The Double</i>.<p>The story never draws itself out that much, although that isn't to say that this film is a quick breeze from start to finish. There are plot holes to be had, while other… More
  Michael Brandt puts together just enough of a crime thriller with <i>The Double</i>.<p>The story never draws itself out that much, although that isn't to say that this film is a quick breeze from start to finish. There are plot holes to be had, while other details are seemingly fulfilled with minimal explanations. Nevertheless, there are twists and turns to keep things moving along.</p><p>Only showing up when needed, the action and the violence are held in check. There is nothing overly showy about any of it and it is forgettable by the film's conclusion.</p><p>While not delivering any memorable performances, both Richard Gere and Topher Grace get by with their lead characters. To much dismay, Stana Katic is highly under-utilized. The lovely Odette Yustman appears as needed and is more noteworthy for her looks than anything else. The occasional side character tends to pop up at opportunistic moments as well. </p><p><i>The Double</i> isn't perfect by any means; however, it is a watchable 90+ minutes of agents tracking down an assassin.</p>

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast: Richard Gere, Topher Grace, Martin Sheen, Tamer Hassan, Stephen Moyer, Odette Yustman, Stana Katic, Yuri Sardarov Director: Michael Brandt Summary: Retired CIA agent Paul Shepherdson joins young FBI agent Ben Geary to track down a Russian assassin who has seemingly… More
  Cast: Richard Gere, Topher Grace, Martin Sheen, Tamer Hassan, Stephen Moyer, Odette Yustman, Stana Katic, Yuri Sardarov Director: Michael Brandt Summary: Retired CIA agent Paul Shepherdson joins young FBI agent Ben Geary to track down a Russian assassin who has seemingly returned after the Cold War. Old conspiracies quickly resurface, embroiling the pair in deeper and deeper peril. My Thoughts: "Although there are obvious holes in the story, I found it a bit refreshing. You keep getting twists in this film that you don't see coming. I liked that it was a quick thriller that didn't linger and explain everything. I just didn't think it needed it. I like not all, but some films that just throw you in the middle of it's chaos and doesn't give you the long drawn out explanation for everything. Keeps you guessing and trying to put it together yourself. A thinker. The pace is steady moving and never lets go of the suspense. I enjoyed it. I love a Richard Gere film. He's absolutely fantastic in the film. It's unfortunate we don't see him in many movie's as of late."

• Manu G

  
  Keep your enemies close Not bad. The story develops quick but lacks details. This is probably not the best movie Richard Gere made yet not the baddest either and Topher Grace I just can't take him seriously been he's more of a comedian than a serious actor. It's a… More
  Keep your enemies close Not bad. The story develops quick but lacks details. This is probably not the best movie Richard Gere made yet not the baddest either and Topher Grace I just can't take him seriously been he's more of a comedian than a serious actor. It's a decent film you probably rent if your a fan of Richard Gere but don't expect alot either. Story kicks off with the mysterious murder of a senator bearing the marks of a Soviet assassin, who was long thought to be dead. To hunt down the killer, a retired CIA operative, who spent his career going toe-to-toe with his Soviet nemesis, is teamed with a young FBI agent.

• Al S

  
  A stylish, cool, taunt and pulse-pounding action-packed thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and most possiably breathless. A strong, intense, compelling and stunning film that gets your attention and is vastly entertaining. A rich cocktail of a spy film that adds the… More
  A stylish, cool, taunt and pulse-pounding action-packed thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and most possiably breathless. A strong, intense, compelling and stunning film that gets your attention and is vastly entertaining. A rich cocktail of a spy film that adds the right elements of action, character and mystery. A mind-blowing thrill-ride that delivers one killer twist after another that will leave you spellbound. This film is most likely most likely going to be considered a classic. One kick ass film that will have your heart going into overdrive. An explosve and addictive thrill to watch. Richard Gere and Topher Grace are electrifying. Gere gives a great and gritty performance that is probaly his best in a while. Grace proves to be a strong and capable dramatic actor standing next to Gere in scenes. Stephen Moyeer gives a terrific performance.

• Luke B

  
  Best unintentional comedy of last year goes to this poorly scripted shambles. Richard Gere is brought out of retirement and partnered with Topher Grace to track down a Russian assassin that has been missing for years, but has finally resurfaced. First of all, let's deal with the… More
  Best unintentional comedy of last year goes to this poorly scripted shambles. Richard Gere is brought out of retirement and partnered with Topher Grace to track down a Russian assassin that has been missing for years, but has finally resurfaced. First of all, let's deal with the twist that was given away in the trailer. It is revealed in the first 30 minutes that Gere is in fact the assassin he is hunting. The hilarity comes from none of the other characters realising this. It verged on spoof at times. Gere gets angry and starts shouting as he tries to convince colleagues that Hassan is the assassin. Grace seems unsure, then after Gere is pretty much crossing his fingers and yelling "I hope he falls for this", Grace agrees and then Gere looks relieved. For an undercover assassin he has the worst poker face. I'd love to edit out the reveal, and see how quickly people guess. Alarm bells should be ringing at the stupidity of this script from the very beginning. Gere is at a children's baseball game and starts chatting with a young mother "Which kid is yours?" she asks. "Oh no, I live close by and just come and watch every now and again." Brief pause, how is she going to react? "Oh, that's so sweet." No it isn't. It's creepy and sinister. As it goes on I got many a great chuckle and even considered applying for the FBI or CIA as they'll clearly recruit anyone. The final twist is just pathetic. A final attempt to try and surprise us, but instead it just confuses. It was needless and forced, and the ending had no real resolution especially in terms of morality.

• Dann M

  
  The Double is a fairly compelling espionage thriller that's full of intrigue. The film follows the hunt for a former soviet assassin that was presumed dead, but seems to have reappeared when a US senator is found dead bearing the assassin's calling card. Richard Gere,… More
  The Double is a fairly compelling espionage thriller that's full of intrigue. The film follows the hunt for a former soviet assassin that was presumed dead, but seems to have reappeared when a US senator is found dead bearing the assassin's calling card. Richard Gere, Topher Grace, and Martin Sheen lead the cast and give solid performances. The story is written fairly well and has a few twists and turns, but nothing too shocking or captivating. However, there are a few tangents and loose ends that aren't wrapped up too well. Overall, The Double is an entertaining thriller that has a fair amount of mystery and suspense, but is somehow underwhelming.

• Eric H

  
  Richard Gere puts the cause of freeing Tibet from the horrors of electricity and secular education on hold to portray a double agent in this uninspired thriller. Some genres just don't work on a smaller budget, the spy thriller for example. You need to be able to span the globe,… More
  Richard Gere puts the cause of freeing Tibet from the horrors of electricity and secular education on hold to portray a double agent in this uninspired thriller. Some genres just don't work on a smaller budget, the spy thriller for example. You need to be able to span the globe, utilising exotic locations for your set pieces. This is set completely around Washington, which brings up a troubling question. Why would anyone who is wanted by the CIA live on the doorstep of the Pentagon? But Brandt isn't concerned with logic, providing plot twists which seem to be pulled out of his ass whenever the script runs out of energy. I really enjoyed the remake of "3.10 To Yuma" which he penned but this is a very poor piece of writing. He seems to think spies actually operate like sixties era Bond or Napoleon Solo, leaving messages hidden in newspaper crosswords. One groan inducing moment sees Sheen inform Gere he's "going to see the president", which is code for "let's meet at the coffee vendor across the street from the Whitehouse". Yes, it's that bad. The production value is nonexistent, most scenes taking place in out of the way locations for budget reasons. I like Gere but let's face it, does anyone choose to see a movie because of his presence? I suspect his fee could have closed off a few streets to give this movie the big set pieces it's crying out for. Back in the eighties, every cheap action movie set it's climax in a warehouse because it was cost effective. That's exactly how this movie ends and when you add in the cold war throwback atmosphere the whole project feels a quarter century behind the times.

• Panta O

  
  This spy thriller has mainly negative reviews and I am not sure what people expect from just average production for entertaining night in the cinema or at home. It was well directed by Michael Brandt using a little bit shaky story and screenplay. Richard Gere and Topher Grace did… More
  This spy thriller has mainly negative reviews and I am not sure what people expect from just average production for entertaining night in the cinema or at home. It was well directed by Michael Brandt using a little bit shaky story and screenplay. Richard Gere and Topher Grace did everything they could in the circumstances and the movie kept me glued to the screen most of the time. I have to say that a story about a retired CIA operative Paul Shepherdson (Gere) who is summoned by CIA director Tom Highland (Sheen) to look into the murder of a senator - working together with a young FBI agent, Ben Geary (Topher Grace)- was very unbelievable... but who cares if you're there to kill time and have fun... and I did just that! It was watchable as much as "Haywire" and I tried to enjoy every moment of it. Watch it if you're a Gere or Grace fan - they did a good job!

• Jedd Y

  
  Playing like a low-rent "Salt", "The Double" is mostly derivative and not very interesting. Pretty much everything, from the cold war-leftovers plot to the teaming of veteran and rookie, has been done before, and done better. "The Double" does set itself… More
  Playing like a low-rent "Salt", "The Double" is mostly derivative and not very interesting. Pretty much everything, from the cold war-leftovers plot to the teaming of veteran and rookie, has been done before, and done better. "The Double" does set itself apart in that the biggest twist is revealed pretty early on. The best scenes are the innocuous scenes in which characters nonchalantly interact with the big bad, unaware that he's the one they're after. Still, its two leads pretty much fail to carry the film almost completely. It's impossible to view Richard Gere as a cold, hardened badass, and Topher Grace becomes more annoying every second he's onscreen.

• Jeffrey M

  
  Not all spy thrillers are created equal, but you'd think one starring Richard Gere would at least be good. The Double boasts a cast of good actors in Martin Sheen and Topher Grace, and leads with the great Richard Gere, yet it is pretty bad. Gere certainly tries, but his talents… More
  Not all spy thrillers are created equal, but you'd think one starring Richard Gere would at least be good. The Double boasts a cast of good actors in Martin Sheen and Topher Grace, and leads with the great Richard Gere, yet it is pretty bad. Gere certainly tries, but his talents are lost in a film with an asinine plot, lackluster direction, and a screenplay filled with nonsensical twists and unnatural, often unintentionally humorous dialogue. The poor execution is especially surprising considering it was directed by Michael Brandt, who has proven himself effective with his great 3:10 to Yuma re-make. Disappointing showing all around. 2/5 Stars Note: Those wanting a smart, fact-based, spy thriller featuring a double agent should check out that immensely better executed Breech (2007).

• Christopher H

  
  The Double is able to hold your attention, even though the pivotal moments of the film are revealed in its trailer. With two top-notch performances from Richard Gere and Topher Grace, there is enough action and a few redeeming, unspoiled twists to save this film from being completely… More
  The Double is able to hold your attention, even though the pivotal moments of the film are revealed in its trailer. With two top-notch performances from Richard Gere and Topher Grace, there is enough action and a few redeeming, unspoiled twists to save this film from being completely ruined by its advertising.

• Sarah P

  
  "You're a double agent. No you are! Yes, we are both double-agents. And I'll go home to my hot wife anyway." That pretty much sums it up - now you can save an hour and a half!

• Daisy M

  
  The Double was a thriller for the undemanding film watcher. The film did not feel like trying anything that had worked in the genre's favor.I even tried to find the something good here, but it was impossible with a film this bad. The major problems with this film were that the… More
  The Double was a thriller for the undemanding film watcher. The film did not feel like trying anything that had worked in the genre's favor.I even tried to find the something good here, but it was impossible with a film this bad. The major problems with this film were that the script was poor, with lots of plot holes and poorly developed characters. There is absolutely no chance in hell you will ever care for any of the characters. The story lacked in creativity, it was like you have it a thousand times before, and a thousand times better.It was a surprise for me to see Richard Gere starring in a movie like this with such a mediocre script.It felt like during the film he seemed bored and uninteresting which did not help at all with the chemistry between him and Topher Grace.I think this film deserved the Razzie Award as worst film of the year.

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