
After25years,François,amodestbusinessman,isreunitedwithhischildhoodfriendLéo,afilmdouble.It'sareunionwhichaffectsbothmenprofoundly,andimmediatelytheydiscovertheiradolescentsenseoffun.Françoisproposesthattheymeetupwiththethirdmemberoftheirchildhoodband,Kuntchinski.<br/> Butwhentheybreakintothelatter'shouse,theyaresurprisedbyhiswife,Hélène.Unsurewhattodo,FrançoisandLéomakeasnapdecisiontofakeanabduction.Hélènehasn'tanyotherplans,sosheplaysalongwiththekidnap…<br/> Doublemessieursisthesecondfilmfromactor-turneddirectorJean-FrançoisStévenin,anunsettlingcomedy-dramawhichbreaksnewgroundincinematicstorytelling.Filmpic1AswithStévenin'sfirstfilm,Passe-montagne,theinteractionofthecharactersassumesfargreaterimportancethantheplot,whichisjustaswellastheplotisvirtuallynon-existent.<br/> Thefilmisanexplorationoftherelationshipofthreecharacters-twooldfriendsandanunknownwomanwhomFatethrowstogether-astheyplayoutacontrived,WoodyAllen-stylefarce,reactingtothreatswhichareentirelyimaginary,effectivelybehavinglikeconfusedchildren.Thecomedyisdownplayedtotheextentthatitisoftenimpossibletojudgewhetherasituationoralineofdialogueisintendedtobefunnyornot-oneofmanyreasonswhywatchingthisfilmisafarfromcomfortableexperience.<br/> Stévenin'sinnovativeapproachisasoff-puttingasitisbreathtakinglyoriginal.TheunconventionalphotographyandevenstrangereditingsuggestsaGodard-esqueinfluence,whilstthediscordantmixofcomedyanddramaisredolentoftheworkofBertrandBlier.Addtothisaheavy-handedappropriationofthepolicierstyleforthefirstpartofthefilmandyou'dbeforgivenforthinkingthisisjustanotherexampleofanauteurexperimentingwithcinematicformforitsownsake.Althoughit'snotafilmthatiseasytolikeandcertainlynotonethatwillappealtothemajorityoffilmenthusiasts,Doublemessieursdoeshaveatouchofgeniusaboutit-particularlyitssombre,intenselymelancholicclosinginstalmentsetinastunningmountainlocation.





