I'm beginning to consider Kiyoshi Kurosawa the most "artsy" of today's hottest Japanese horror directors. Instead of going for the "long-haired ghost" routine, Kurosawa seems to prefer packing his chillers with a much darker and more intimate atmosphere of impending dread. He likes to absorb viewers before moving in for the kill, and his Doppelganger film takes this approach to heart. The movie's first two acts are nothing short of incredible, emanating an aura of menace while intriguing the mind with the heaviest set of concepts this side of a philosophy class. It's too bad the third act falls apart big-time.

Ambitious inventor Michio (Koji Yakusho, from Babel) is on the verge of the greatest medical breakthrough in years: a chair that can act as an artificial body for paralyzed individuals. Unfortunately, he and his team haven't quite managed to capture human complexity in mechanical form just yet, and with investors breathing down his neck and demanding results, Michio's world is a mighty stressful one. But the worst is yet to come, for when Michio comes home one ordinary evening, he finds himself face to face with none other than his own double (also played by Yakusho, natch). Right from the start, this mysterious twin proves to be Michio's complete opposite; whereas the real Michio keeps his feelings bottled within, the twin has no qualms about acting on his deepest, darkest impulses. In no time at all, the double's actions start to tear apart Michio's life, forcing him to find a way to destroy his troublesome doppelganger without destroying himself.

My first exposure to Kurosawa's world of sinister cinema was Pulse (the original, not the dreary remake), and I didn't find it very impressive. As chilling as certain moments were, the movie's vibe appeared  too drab, lethargic, and humorless for me.  But Doppelganger turned out to be a pleasant surprise, for Kurosawa displays a much more playful tone here. He tackles some pretty cerebral themes with his story while not forgetting to have fun with it, setting up a sort of twisted "Odd Couple" dynamic between Michio and his more outgoing double, with the latter doing what the former has only dreamed of doing. Things get even more intriguing when the line starts to blur between who's who, and a whole new layer of suspense is smoothly integrating into the production.

But the above approach counts for only half of the equation, as Doppelganger spends the other half of its time engaging the viewer's mind with an array of thought-provoking themes. The duality of man is Kurosawa's focus here, specifically in the realm of emotions and how we look at ourselves. For as much trouble as Michio's twin gets him into, he can't bring himself to fully shatter their bond, as the twin technically is him, only embodying all those emotions he tends to suppress. For the first hour or so, Kurosawa has a ball exploring the relationship between the two characters, as do we in watching them interact. Sadly, as Doppelganger winds down to a close, Kurosawa suddenly and randomly forgets what kind of movie he's making. All those tantalizing philosophical queries are tossed out the window in favor of a climax in which numerous characters fight for ownership of the miracle machine. Going from seeing a man literally fighting with himself to a dark screwball comedy may sound goofy on paper, but it's even more awkward when Kurosawa actually goes through with it onscreen.

A flawed denouement aside, Doppelganger remains an absorbing watch, thanks mostly to Kurosawa's subtle direction and Yakusho's commanding turns as both Michio and the titular twin. Maybe it's not the festival of frights promised by the DVD cover, but Doppelganger boasts a brain and unique style, making it worth seeing no matter what your genre preferences may be.

MY RATING: *** (out of ****)

(Released by Tartan Video and rated "R" for violence and language.)

Review also posted at www.passportcinema.com.