La Double Vie de Véronique (1991)

Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Stars: Irène Jacob, Wladyslaw Kowalski, Halina Gryglaszewska
Runtime: 98 minutes

Synopsis: Two parallel stories about two identical women; one living in Poland, the other in France. They don't know each other, but their lives are nevertheless profoundly connected.

Performances: 5/5
Screenplay: 4/5
Editing: 5/5
Cinematography: 5/5
Score/Soundtrack: 5/5

Verdict: You can always count on Krzysztof Kieslowski to take you on a journey of spiritualism and self-discovery. The Polish director, whose most known projects are "Dekalog" and the Three Colors trilogy, has proved time and time again that his talents as both director and writer are undeniably colossal. Every single one of his projects will leave you in a state of reflection that will last for many days, pushing you to research many aspects of it even when you don't entirely relate to the story, which was honestly the case for me while watching "The Double Life of Véronique".

The film follows two identical women who, despite never meeting, share a profound connection. One of them lives in Poland, the other in France, and the two are played by a phenomenal Irène Jacob, assisted by breathtaking and very stylized cinematography work by Sławomir Idziak  and a transporting score by Zbigniew Presiner, here to accompany the few awe-inspiring operas sung by one of Jacob's characters. Visually, the movie is a true marvel that perfectly fits the themes of parallelism. human connection, and identity explored through the meticulously written narrative.

"The Double Life of Véronique" may not be my favorite Kieslowski film, but I can completely see it speaking to a large number of people. It's a gorgeously shot, extremely well-written film that should be experienced at least once by anyone interested in the themes it develops or in filmmaking as a whole.  

FINAL GRADE: 8.5/10