Elliot and Beverly aren’t your normal pair of brothers. Identical twins, the two are inseparable, at least when they’re alone together, when they’re with people it’s a whole other story. The bond between the two is so close that the brothers work in the same field: gynecology. The twins even like to play lurid sexual games with their patients; using their exact resemblance to fool their partners into thinking they’re with the other brother. One of these victims falls in love with the more sensitive of the two, setting into motion a disastrous string of events that lead the brothers into madness and tragedy.

I consider David Cronenberg to be a maker of important movies. Many people may chuckle at this idea, but with serious satire pieces like Videodrome and A History Of Violence on his resume, as well as extremely memorable popcorn like The Fly and Scanners, Cronenberg has proven himself as a director with a truly unique vision. I think it’s even accurate to say that Cronenberg is the most influential director to emerge from Canada, a statement that may make many wonder if Canada is populated entirely by slimy genetic freaks. (It is.)

While Ringers isn’t as much of a message movie as Videodrome, or as much fun as Scanners, it is a character study of great power, a bizarre look at two lonely souls who have twisted attitudes about women. The film can accurately be described as being the story of a love triangle, the weirdest triangle I have ever seen. Whereas most triangles have two men fighting over a woman, this one has a man and a woman fighting over a man, with the added twist that the two men are identical twin brothers.

This disturbing love triangle is most brazenly depicted in a scene where the two brothers slow dance together with a woman they are sharing. While Beverly’s attention seems more on the woman, watch Elliot’s eyes and hands, the guy is obviously on his way to gay incest city.

Jeremy Irons gives a great performance, playing both Beverly and Elliot with nuanced grace and style. Think of Nick Cage’s performance in Adaptation, now multiply the quality of that performance by two. This is easily the best movie I have ever seen about a pair of twin gynecologists. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito, you have been dethroned.

Stephen Lack, who played the hero in Scanners, has a cameo in the film, using his wooden “I-AM-A-ROBOT” acting style to bring to life the character of a metal sculptor who Beverly uses to create a specially built set of gynecological tools. Actually, as Beverly is seriously deranged when he designs them, the tools end up looking less like something you’d see in a doctor’s office and more like something you’d see in H.R. Giger’s sketchbook. I don’t have a vagina, but if I did this movie might have given me a serious case of the shivers.

Ultimately the story of ultra close twin brothers isn’t an entirely new idea; indeed, I encountered these characters many years ago in Thornton Wilder’s "The Bridge of San Louis Rey". (*The readers jump out of their seats* “Wait, that’s a book isn’t it? The dumb-ass actually mentioned a book!”) Or there’s Adaptation, which I already referenced…. And, uh… those Olsen twin movies. Those are pretty similar to this. Not that I have seen any of the Olsen twin movies. *Blushes*

But while it doesn’t have the most original foundation it does have a very different spin on the idea, changing it and stretching it in ways that are quite fascinating to watch. Add to that a must see performance by Jeremy Irons and solid all around direction by Cronenberg and you have a damn fine movie. While this film is about twins, I doubt I will ever see anything quite like it again, making the title Dead Ringers (plural) quite dead indeed. (Vhs Caveman, 8/20/06)

Directed By: David Cronenberg.
Written By: David Cronenberg, Norman Snider.

Starring: Jeremy Irons, Genevieve Bujold, Heidi von Palleske, Barbara Gordon.