La Double Vie de Véronique

For some, this is the seminal work of Polish-French cinematography. For me, it’s a movie that’s always good at the end of the one plot line told. Anything in between that, however, is incredibly boring and draggy. (28/02/2014)

The lack of a complex and convoluted plot is not a disadvantage in the case of this film, as director Kieslowski primarily works with the innermost emotions of both the characters and the audience. The entire film is built upon a striking audiovisual experience, crafted by the masterful cinematography of Slawomir Idziak (known for his work in Black Hawk Down), and the unobtrusive yet highly impactful musical score by Zbigniew Preisner. This almost dreamlike combination made me sit up in my seat in the movie theater and despite its relatively short runtime, the film felt even shorter. I have never experienced such a pleasantly conflicting mixture of emotions upon leaving the movie theater before. (24/02/2006)

Krzysztof Kieślowski fit me more in the series "Dekalog," which was somehow sufficiently realistic for the emotions he wanted to present to resonate. In the case of a more experimental film like "The Double Life of Veronique," his approach didn't resonate with me as much. It's still a good film, but it simply didn't impress me as much as I had hoped. (26/02/2016)