Eye Candy #594 - "The Double"

The Double:  This “thriller” feels like a throwback to the 1980’s, like a really bad knockoff of “No Way Out”.  Former CIA operative Paul Shepherdson (Richard Gere) is asked to look into the murder of a U.S. senator who was believed to have been killed by a mysterious Soviet assassin named Cassius.  To that end, he is paired with neophyte FBI agent Ben Geary (Topher Grace).  However, it’s made very clear very quickly (as in “as soon as you see the preview”) that Shepherson is Cassius.  And he’s not the only assassin or Soviet-in-agen’ts-clothing we have to deal with.  Martin Sheen and Odette Yustman are here in support.  We also get “True Blood’s” Stephen Moyer in a bit role, continuing Moyer’s inability to actually capitalize on his popularity with “True Blood”.  With a ‘reveal’ shows up less than 20 minutes into the picture, it goes without saying that this film shoots its wad fairly early and then drags you around needlessly complicating the plot before they tack on a goofy twist ending.  Dull, with a plot hook that’s been done better several times before (not to mention it’s incredible lack of timeliness, the Soviets not quite the boogeymen we imagined them to be), with a group of largely unsympathetic characters.  Another middling effort from screenwriter Derek Haas (he also wrote “Wanted” and “2 Fast 2 Furious’) and a disappointing first directorial effort from screenwriter Michael Brandt.  Woodchuck sez, “Skip it.”