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| DIRECTED BY |
| David Cronenberg |
| STARRING |
| Jeremy Irons |
| Genevi�ve Bujold |
| Heidi von Palleske |
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As Canadian films come and go, most of them are usually forgotten or simply do not receive the amount of media attention that they deserve. Internationally, Canada�s film industry has been held in a somewhat respectable regard; however, rarely has it been able to one-up the infinitely larger competition that resides south of the border. Thankfully, though, there are those little homegrown gems that come along once in a while and make me proud to be a Canadian cineaste; �Dead Ringers� is one of them.
The fact that the film�s director, David Cronenberg, has been commonly referred to as the �King of Venereal Horror� will immediately turn off many of his films� potential audience members. And predictably, some of his earlier work does get a little out of hand in terms of �shock value� at times. However, when he�s at his best, his films offer a deeply psychological escape from reality that viewers will not easily forget.
�Dead Ringers� tells the story of Elliot and Beverly, twin brothers (both masterfully played by British actor, Jeremy Irons) who are ostensibly identical. They�re both gynecologists, they�re both highly intelligent, and they even live in the same house together. However, we gradually come to realize that, mentally, they�re quite different from each other. Elliot is more of a lothario who seduces nearly every woman he meets, and then �passes her over� to his shyer brother when he becomes bored with her. Beverly goes along with his brother�s manipulative game until, finally, his conscience gets the best of him when he meets an actress and becomes infatuated with her. He refuses to �share� her with Elliot, and thus begins the triangular downward spiral.
Even dislikers of the film should appreciate the amazing split screen special effects that allow viewers to believe that they�re watching two Jeremy Irons� on the screen at the same time. These effects were obviously revolutionary in 1988, because they remain utterly convincing today. Fortunately though, there�s a lot more to appreciate in this film than the special effects. It�s probably one of the most intelligent horror films ever made, but definitely a credit to Canadian cinema.
