The Double 2011

      When the assassination of a U.S. senator has the signature style of a Russian spy known as Cassius, CIA director Tom Highland (Martin Sheen) calls top operative Paul Shepherdson (Richard Gere) out of retirement to investigate.  Paul's partner on the case is Ben Geary (Topher Grace).  He is a young agent who also has studied Cassius and is certain the Russian is behind the slaying.  Paul is insisting that Cassius is long dead.  Should Ben listen to Paul’s theory or may Paul not be who he claims to be?

     Ben is also a top operative but he is a rookie.   He has more to lose in this cat and mouse game but also more enthusiasm.  Ben is much younger than Paul, he has a young wife, young daughter and a baby son.  Paul and Ben work their way through crimes both past and present for clues.  They discover that Cassius may not really be the person they always thought him to be?  This causes a reexamination of everything they believe and everyone around them!!!  

     I have a problem with this movie.  It has a chance to be very good with an empowered cast but they are just going though the motions!!  There is a LOT of action but action can’t carry the entire movie.  There has to be substance and this isn’t included!!!  Grim and stricken can’t be all we get from good actors!!!  (2* out of 5*)

98 min, crime, directed and written by Michael Brandt and also written by Derek Haas with Richard Gere, Martin Sheen, Stephen Moyer, Odette Annable, Yuriy Sardarov, Ed Kelly Lawrence Gillard Jr., Andy Manning, Ella Maltby, Topher Grace, Tamer Hassan, Chris Marquette, Stana Katic, Ivan Fedorov, Jeffrey Pierce, Mike Kraft Randy Flagler, Dan Lemieux.

Note:  Imdb 5.9* out of 10* with 29K ratings, Rotten Tomatoes 21% with 52 critic reviews 33% with 5,000+ audience scores, Metacritic 37 with 20 critic reviews, Roger Ebert 2*, Letterboxd 2.5* out of 5*. 

Special Note:  There is another with the same title from August 2014.  Directed by Richard Ayoade and the actors are Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn, Noah Taylor, Yasmin Paige, James Fox.  Imdb gives this movie 6.5* out of 10* with 48K ratings.