Title: The Double
Directed by: Michael Brandt
Starring: Richard Gere, Topher Grace, Stephen Moyer, Odette Yustman, Stana Katic, Chris Marquette, Tamer Hassan and Martin Sheen
Running time: 98 minutes, Rated PG-13, Available on DVD
A United States Senator is murdered in the same fashion as a known Soviet assassin named Cassius, who was thought to have been killed years ago. A retired CIA operative named Paul Shepherdson (Gere) who has a history of hunting Cassius, and a young FBI agent named Ben Geary (Grace) who has studied the assassin’s every move, are now on the hunt to find the brutal killer before he kills again.
If the filmmakers didn’t give away the twist so early in the film, I might have liked it more. After the first half hour, you already know how the movie is going to end, and you’re just waiting for all the actors to say their lines and collect their paychecks. Stephen Moyer’s (True Blood) make-up is awful, and his accent isn’t that great either. Stana Katic (Castle) and Odette Yustman aren’t even necessary characters, but they’re hot so they’re forgiven.
The special features include writer/director commentary with Michael Brandt and writer/producer Derek Haas, a featurette and theatrical trailer.
The Double was a bit of a disappointment because I loved “3:10 to Yuma” (written by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas), and “Wanted” wasn’t great, but a better assassin movie in comparison to The Double. The plot is tired and the characters are bland. What looked good on paper, doesn’t always turn out well on screen. It’s a brave effort by first time director Brandt, and truth be told first films aren’t always winners.
Total Rating: C-
Reviewed by: JM Willis
