The Double Life of Véronique
The Double Life of Véronique
R | 22 November 1991 (USA)
The Double Life of Véronique Trailers

Véronique is a beautiful young French woman who aspires to be a renowned singer; Weronika lives in Poland, has a similar career goal and looks identical to Véronique, though the two are not related. The film follows both women as they contend with the ups and downs of their individual lives, with Véronique embarking on an unusual romance with Alexandre Fabbri, a puppeteer who may be able to help her with her existential issues.

Reviews
Interesteg What makes it different from others?
CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.
classicsoncall I watched this film a second time because I thought I might have missed something during my first viewing. It turned out I hadn't, but with the second viewing I had a better understanding of the two characters and who they were in relation to each other. Portrayed by Irene Jacob, both Weronika and Veronique share some sort of psychic link which is broken when Weronika collapses and dies during a musical performance. Weronika's death and burial so soon into the picture is somewhat jarring, as it leaves one feeling that an integral character in the story had no opportunity to impact the outcome. That feeling of confusion moves along in the story as Veronique struggles to learn the identity of a secret benefactor who makes unidentified phone calls and sends her packages with odd enclosures. How can one best describe the film? It's erotic and seductive to be sure, as well as sensitive, dreamy, romantic, ethereal and mesmerizing. At the same time it can be mysterious and incomprehensible. Director Krzysztof Kieslowski allows the viewer to individually interpret his movies and this one struck me as a dreamscape, almost as if the characters of Weronika and Veronique weren't real in the first place. The effect is so disorienting that it will take some time for me to discover whether I liked it or not. I lean toward the former, though with a sense of apprehension, as seeing it again at another time might prove to move me in a different direction.
Sameir Ali Krzysztof Kieslowski is a director who mesmerized the world audience with his last film; Color Trilogy. This movie was done before the trilogy.What if there a person in another part of the world, just like you and have a similar name too. The coincidence was not limited to this, but the feelings were also connected. These two persons are completely strangers!.Beautiful Irène Jacob has done her best in the film. The director creates a magical world of colors and imagination in the movie. A beautiful visual treat. Cinematography is amazing supported by the magical music.A definitely must watch. #KiduMovie
losindiscretoscine Released in 1991, "The double life of Véronique" helped Irène Jacob to forge her career as she won the Cannes Festival Best Actress Award thanks to her double role as Weronika and Véronique. The strength of the film lies in this omnipresent connection between the two women that look alike, feel each other's emotions and yet they have never met. Krzysztof Kieślowski, that tragically passed away five years later, created this masterpiece that marked his career : a wise mix of poetry, whose plot oscillates between dream and reality. The silences, the palpable emotions, the almost-buried memories, the constant distress feed this synergy between the two women. The whole movie excels thanks to the puppets' play, a real metaphor of the connection between the women. The yellowish photography, sometimes flirting with a well-polished sepia, enhances the emotions and the actor's glances. "The double life of Véronique" is visually meticulous, sensitive and whose originality has lost none of its superbness since its released. Full review on our blog Los Indiscretos : https://losindiscretos.org
Pierre_D It had been a bear finding a properly subtitled version of this film, until the wonders of YouTube finally helped our cause. Irène Jacob's immeasurably understated grace and beauty permeate this film, from the first moments in Krakow where she elevates her voice to angelic proportions, to the second half where she tries to connect with herself in another way.Quickly put, we see two aspects of the same life and experience. Weronika in Poland, a radiant singer with little training but an apparent divine gift, enjoying life with full vigour and finally reaching the dream of become a stage presence, only to be seized from our world by the maker above. It seems unjust, but perhaps she had an inkling of trouble when she spotted her double on a bus slightly before, a jarring experience that nonetheless made her keep her focus.On the other side, in France, we find Véronique, who suddenly abandons singing to teach music to children. She finds herself intrigued by a puppeteer who strikes a cord within her with his marionette show, and slowly comes the realization that she is half of a now incomplete whole.Kieslowsky's brilliance shines in this movie. As we'll see later in his seminal Three Colors, he uses closeups of mundane items to represent stages of reflection or worry. In "Bleu" it is a sugar cube dissolving in Julie's coffee while here we see a teabag immersing itself, emptying its flavour in hot water and thus ridding itself of its duties. Kryztof also perfectly captures Poland in revolutionary moments and the imperilled safety of one individual.Weronika goes from the ecstasy of singing to that of physical ardour to apotheosis whilst her French counterpart regresses from singing to teaching to fleeing to finding, and finally understanding. Jacob is near perfect here, hitting all the right emotive notes. Her almost radiant happiness as she sings hymns at the start, during a torrential downpour, is an unforgettable moment. Her grief at finding herself in the final scenes is also palpable, a bravura performance for the actress.A fine film, deep in starting blocks for other movies from this director, The Double Life of Véronique is a must for anyone who has led more than one life or feels connected to others.
Similar Movies to The Double Life of Véronique