The Double Life of Veronique

Cannes 1991 - Best Actress: Irčne Jacob

Rolling Stone - 11/28/1991
"...Jacob is a find - she radiates intelligence and sex appeal..."

Sight and Sound - 03/01/1992
"...Cerebral as wells as sensual....The film's teasing paradoxes make for a complexity that is considerably more than double..."

Film Comment - 09/01/1991
"...Veronique is played by Irene Jacob, whom Kieslowski's camera loves, the film is alive each moment she is onscreen, which is nearly every moment..."

Los Angeles Times - 12/13/1991
"...Jacob has a delicate, high-fashion lyricism..."

Uncut - 04/01/2006
"Delicately shot....It's intent on founding a feel, a disquieting fogginess with shafts of uplifting beauty."

Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski, creator of the masterful THREE COLORS TRILOGY, presents this enigmatic, philosophical drama about duality in the modern world. Weronika (Irene Jacob), a young Polish woman, embraces each aspect of her life with zeal. She has many friendships, sexual and platonic, and a variety of interests. A serious heart ailment, however, debilitates her periodically, but she refuses to let it hold her back. On her way to a singing contest, she sees a woman who is her spitting image. Weronika tries to catch the look-alike's attention, but fails. The second woman, the French Veronique (Jacob), is also a gifted singer yet she rejects this talent to teach at a primary school. Eventually she, too, senses the presence of another force in her life, but it isn't until Alexandre (Philippe Volter), an artist, appears that she finally recognizes this for certain. Kieslowski's superb film is a lyrical study of the divided but inextricably linked worlds of Eastern and Western Europe, featuring two remarkable, soul-bearing performances by the gorgeous Jacob.

Two women...complete strangers, but strangely linked to each other... Renowned director Krzysztof Kieslowski (Three Colors: Red, White and Blue) confirmed his reputation as one of cinema's visionary filmmakers with this beautifully poetic, elegantly mysterious film that ponders the nature of intuition and the metaphysical connections between people. Irene Jacob lights up the screen as both Veronika, a deeply spiritual Polish soprano, and her double, Veronique, a more earthy French music teacher. Each senses the other and is affected by each other's experiences, though they have no idea of the other's existence. Aided by a haunting operatic score, The Double Life of Veronique is a mesmerizing masterpiece of filmmaking.

A gifted young Polish singer and her French counterpart Veronique (Irene Jacob in a dual role) share similar talents, aspirations, and delicate health. Born on the same day in different countries, the two never meet, but are haunted by an awareness of one another. The film is an evocative study of the very separate yet powerfully intertwined sides of late-20th-century Europe, directed by Polish master Krzysztof Kieslowski.

Psychic Forces | Psychodrama | Recommended | Self-Discovery | Theatrical Release