The Double Life of Veronique [La Double Vie de
Veronique] (1991)
This one is bound to seem a little suspect to more jaded eyes,
and it’s hard to explain why I love it so. But I do. Director
Krzysztof Kieslowski is stubbornly obscure, spinning the tale
of the French Veronique and the Polish Weronika (Irene Jacob).
Each is the other’s perfect double, and the two never meet,
though Veronique seems strangely aware of her counterpart. It
could be written off as blithe New Age-ism, if it weren’t for
Kieslowski’s near metaphysical sense for emotional
storytelling. Slawomir Idziak's cinematography is wondrous,
with the camera dwelling on windows, lenses, and Jacob herself
-- Kieslowski's accomplice in this mystical inquiry.
Unfortunately, the sides of each picture on the U.S. video
releases of the film are cropped to fit your TV screen; bring a
friend and see it in a theater if you can.
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