L'Amant double (released in the United States as Double Lover)[3] is a 2017 erotic thriller drama film written and directed by François Ozon, based on the 1987 novel Lives of the Twins (also known as Kindred Passions) by Joyce Carol Oates. It stars Marine Vacth as a young woman named Chloé who discovers that her lover is concealing a part of his identity.[4]
| L'Amant double | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | François Ozon |
| Screenplay by | François Ozon |
| Based on | Lives of the Twins by Joyce Carol Oates |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Manuel Dacosse |
| Edited by | Laure Gardette |
| Music by | Philippe Rombi |
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| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 110 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | French |
| Budget | €7.1 million[1] |
| Box office | $5 million[2] |
Plot
editChloé, a dowdy museum attendant suffering depression and abdominal pain, consults a gynaecologist. She is told that no physical cause can be found and what she needs is a psychiatrist. She consults Paul, under whose sympathetic care she smartens up her appearance and reacts more warmly to people. In fact they have fallen in love, and they move into an apartment together. Unpacking things, she finds that Paul has changed his name and hidden his family details from her.
In the street she sees Paul's double who, she discovers, is a psychiatrist named Louis. Booking a session with him, he is aggressive and she leaves. Next time, he virtually rapes her and after that she returns for more. It emerges that the violent Louis is the estranged twin of the gentle Paul. When Chloé's pain increases dramatically, she is taken to hospital and undergoes surgery. It is found that she was carrying her unborn sister, a parasitic twin, in her womb.
Cast
edit- Marine Vacth as Chloé
- Jérémie Renier as Paul and Louis
- Jacqueline Bisset as Mrs. Schenker and Chloé's mother
- Myriam Boyer as Rose
- Dominique Reymond as Gynecologist and Agnès Wexler
Release
editThe film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.[5][6] It had its world premiere at Cannes on 26 May 2017, with a simultaneous theatrical release in France on the same day.[7]
Critical reception
editL'Amant double received generally positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 71% approval rating based on 91 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Double Lover offers kinky pleasures that should thrill fans of classic erotic cinema while adding some uniquely transgressive European twists."[8] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 70 out of 100 from 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[9]
Accolades
editAt the 8th Magritte Awards, the film received a nomination in the category of Best Actor for Renier.[10]
References
edit- ^ "L'Amant double (2017)". JP's Box-Office (in French). Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ^ "Double Lover (2017)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ "Double Lover". Cohen Media Group. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
- ^ "The Hunt for the Palme d'Or is on". Cineuropa. 13.04.2017. 13 April 2017. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ "The 2017 Official Selection". Cannes Film Festival. 13 April 2017. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Winfrey, Graham (13 April 2017). "2017 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup: Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, Twin Peaks and More". IndieWire. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "L'Amant double". AlloCiné. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ "Double Lover (L'amant double) (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
- ^ "L'Amant Double Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
- ^ Degré, Michaël (11 January 2018). "Magrittes 2018: vers un match Streker-Belvaux?". L'Avenir (in French). Retrieved 16 January 2018.
