Jake Gyllenhaal stars in a new psychological thriller that explores the question, "What would you do if you came face-to-face with a doppelganger?"
According to MSN News, the 33-year-old actor plays the characters of both Adam Bell, a teacher who is struggling to commit to a relationship, and Anthony St. Claire, a married aspiring actor. When Adam finds out he has a double, he works on finding Anthony, and when they meet, their lives intertwine with each other.
The New York Times, however, is not very much into the doppelganger angle of the story; rather, it states that "the question that haunts the film is whether they are really different people at all, or just sides of a single disordered personality."
Nonetheless, acording to Gyllenhaal, the film was one of the "most fulfilling creative experience" for him. He added, "Never have I had the opportunity to feel what it was like to act against my own instincts, and I actually was humbled by it. I think there were places where I thought I knew what I was doing, but then as I'd watch those and do it back, it wasn't easy to work with as I thought it would be."
Gyllenhaal gained critical praise for his role as the obsessive detective, Loki, in last year's film, "Prisoners", starring Hugh Jackman. The film, which was made after "Enemy," has united the actor with the same director, Denis Villeneuve. He credited "Enemy" for enabling him to push himself to deliver his scenes as Loki.
He shared, "'Enemy' was much more artistically indulgent in the way that we were experimenting with form and process. I was definitely not the center of attention on 'Prisoners,' I was doing my thing along with a number of many more talented actors than I am. Denis said very specifically to me before we started 'Prisoners' ... 'you're not going to get my attention in the way that you did.'"
Darker characters are difficult to leave behind at work, said the actor. He shared, "You make physical transformations or you make mental transformations; the inside transformations are a lot harder, and they take a lot out of you. I can't just jump from one thing to the next, that's something I've learned. Once I've explored one world, I need some time back in my real life before I can even know what's right for me as an actor to go to next."
After a slew of dramas, Gyllenhaal is slated to star in David O. Russell's comedy, "Nailed," but will then return to play dark roles in "Nightcrawler" and "Everest."
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