Films like Doppelganger Paul are always a delight in my eyes as you never know whether to laugh or feel the sadness of these characters...

Film Review

Title: Doppelganger Paul

Director: Dylan Akio Smith & Kris Elgstrand

Writer: Kris Elgstrand

Principle Cast: Brad Dryborough, Tygh Runyan

Length: 81 Minutes

Release Date: February 24^th 2012 (Toronto), March 16^th (Vancouver), March 23^rd (Charlottetown), March 30^th (Ottawa)

Reviewed By: Kindah Mardam Bey

1) Do You Ever Get The Feeling Someone Else Is Living Your Life
2) Are You Afraid of Being Alone?
3) Do You Like Yourself?

Taped to Paul's apartment door are these three questions and a letter from a man claiming to be his doppelganger - his exact double. What ensues is a "stalker, buddy, road movie, comedy" that had me laughing regularly throughout the film. This strange and funny film, Doppelganger Paul, is full of mirth and has meticulously timed comedy laid out in every scene. Charlie Kauffman would give this film a hearty approval as it is full of that quirky, surreal and altered reality that Kauffman is so well known for. Yep, this is a Canadian film and seems to hold onto its Canadian sense of humour and style of storytelling (I’ll only mention the circumstances with the missing thumb here as a reference point) even though it is set within a more international framework.

Directors Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand (also the screenwriter) seem to weave a web of storytelling that makes the audience not know what will happen next and half-smile throughout the film in anticipation of what absurdist and funny moment will be captured next.

Karl (Tygh Runyan) somewhat forces his way into Paul’s (Brad Dryborough) life and becomes Paul’s friend almost against his will, that is, if Paul wasn’t also a lonely being (the aforementioned number two in the questionnaire). Doppelganger Paul is a film about loneliness and self-loathing (seen in the official title of the film Doppelganger Paul: Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself) but what eventually transpires between these two men is a case of friendship and autobiography.

I can’t really reflect on the second act of the film without giving too much away, but the film reminded me a lot of Being John Malkovich in the sense that we were exploring both a reality and alternate reality, and perhaps even a reflection on reality. The proposition at the start, those three simple questions, stays with the audience throughout the film and you constantly ask yourself if the characters are answering those questions. At times this seemed like a deeply sad film in many ways and at others a cock-eyed glare at the audience defying us to find the humour in the irony. Films like Doppelganger Paul are always a delight in my eyes as you never know whether to laugh or feel the sadness of these characters.

A truly lovely moment at the end of the film between the travel agent and Karl occurs. Also props to Dryborough and Runyan for pulling off the lamest fight scene committed to celluloid; truly funny. I enjoyed the pacing of the film immensely, although slow, it was never dull.

Doppelganger Paul is an irreverent look at our own autobiographies and how we piece them together by simply living. Fun and poignant, Doppelganger Paul is easily the best “stalker, buddy, road movie, comedy” I have ever seen.   

Written by :

Kindah