Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Richard Gere, a retired CIA agent is called back from retirement to find a Soviet assassin believed to have been dead. A senator was murdered with the killer using the same MO as code name "Cassius" a former Russian agent assassin who was never caught. Gere is paired with Topher Grace, a young desk jockey from the FBI. Topher studied Cassius and wrote his thesis on him. He believes Cassius is alive and retired in the US and is the recent killer. Gere claims it is a copy cat killer and does not want to work with Topher.There is an early plot twist, something we get enough hints to clue us in. Even though Topher lacks field experience he is fairly savvy. As they seek out Cassius, bodies start to accumulate. Martin Sheen plays the head of the CIA. While an early mystery is solved for us, there are others that exist. There are action scenes, killings, and drama. I felt the acting brought the film down. Gere was wrong for that role. I really would have liked a hipper Travolta. I did enjoy the soundtrack, which was a mild Russian pagan metal with a good drum beat. Makes for a decent spy drama rental. 7 stars. Gere fans can take it to 8 stars as he looks like he has stayed in pretty good shape for a man his age.No f-bombs, sex, or nudity. Mild swearing.

Well, it was just about good enough to watch until the end, but only just; however the Summary title says it all: I had forgotten that I had seen the end until I read through the synopsis on Wikipedia! I really like Richard Gere, Topher and obviously Martin Sheen, but as other reviewers have said, the plot is full of holes and it is ultimately unsatisfying candy floss - but if that's how you approach it then it passes the time if you can't find anything better to watch! Also as other reviewers have said, it is surprising that such big names opted for this film. Perhaps the script was rewritten during the filming - a writer / director film, after all.

THE DOUBLE is another PG-13 political thriller, not dissimilar to the likes of the Michael Douglas flick THE SENTINEL. These films all seem to have a bland, samey look to them, clearly indebted to the Bourne films of yesterday but lacking the hard edge and finesse that made that trilogy such classics.The plot is as predictable as they come, teaming up silver fox Richard Gere with a young and bland newcomer, Topher Grace. The two are on the hunt for an international assassin, but there's a major twist along the way which makes things pretty interesting. Sadly, the film is never as exciting as it should be, even though there's a pretty cool car chase through into the mix.It's also ridiculously non-violent and the kind of film that teaches kids that garroting people is a bloodless act - ridiculous. I've never thought that violence in films is influential, but I actually find it quite offensive when it's glamorised in a bloodless way like here. Violence should be ugly, harsh, and realistic, not superficial. The cast, including Martin Sheen and Tamer Hassan in support, all appear to be going through the motions, leaving this a distinctly average effort.

A spy thriller in a line of spy thrillers that manages to captivate and entertain its audience, if not thrill. Following a formula to the letter, The Double is predictable to the last plot point, and the pretty packaging of this movie is tied up with a bow, not in the least surprising though it attempts one surprise after another. You'll quickly understand the intent of the plot, and the identity of the characters, but Gere and Grace are strong enough actors that they can turn predictable characters into interesting performances.Russian spies in the U.S., but for how long? According to FBI Agent Ben Geary, they have been for as long as you can imagine. He is hot on the trail of long-ghosted assassin Cassius, a man never identified and never caught when the Russians were the worst threat the CIA could imagine, back in the 80's and 90's. According to CIA Agent Paul Shepherdson, though, those days are over. Begin sparring between agencies to get to the bottom of a mystery, or perhaps begin re-looking at what everyone thinks they know. You won't have to watch long to understand the true story behind the story, but you'll want to watch to see just how it all plays out.