(Photo Courtesy of Freestyle Releasing)Iconic performer Elvis Presley had a stillborn twin brother. The movie, “The Identical,” explores the idea of what might have been if Presley’s brother had survived. What was an incredible idea, and what might have been an intriguing film, ended up being a drawn-out and at-times ridiculous 107 minutes.
“The Identical,” a drama directed by Dustin Marcellino, follows the life of Ryan Wade (Blake Rayne) and his struggle to fulfill his dream of impersonating Drexel Hemsley (Blake Rayne), an Elvis-inspired rock star, who turns out to be his identical twin brother. If that sounds confusing and far-fetched, it’s because it is; unfortunately, so is the film.
During the Great Depression, the Hemsleys (Brian Geraghty, Amanda Crew) realize they can afford to care for one child but cannot support both. They keep the child who ends up being world-renowned musician Drexel. The parents give Reverend Wade (Ray Liotta) and his wife (Ashley Judd) a boy named Ryan, whom Reverend Wade is determined to turn into a preacher.
Ryan has a unique talent for music and begins to perform what his reverend father refers to as “devil's music” with his best friend Dino (Seth Green). When his twin brother rises to fame, Ryan realizes that he has an uncanny resemblance to Drexel “The Dream” Hemsley, and enters talent shows, eventually touring the country at state fairs as, “The Identical,” an homage to his likeness to the rock star.
Retired Presley impersonator Rayne does indeed look the part, and certainly sounds eerily like Elvis, but he cannot pull his weight in heavy scenes and falls short compared to veterans Liotta and Judd.
Green, while acting as a supporting character, is genuine and fun, giving the film a necessary side of comedic relief.
The independent film makes interesting choices with cinematography, including using black and white footage for flashback moments that make the film fit the time period, and the set and costume designers did an incredible job making the film feel realistically like the '50s.
The film’s soundtrack is filled with enjoyable old school rock 'n’ roll numbers that make the film feel slightly like a musical and less like a typical drama, but the writing and overly obvious themes written into horribly clichéd lines sucked the pleasure out what might have been some emotionally satisfying scenes.
There are a number of smaller, lighter scenes that make up for the overly dramatic moments. Wade’s wife, Jenny (Erin Cottrell), is a unique character, providing wonderful comedic moments with authentic emotional scenes.
Judd and Liotta also carry the film with strong and believable performances, given the unbelievable premise of the film.
The story of what Elvis Presley’s deceased twin brother might have been is an interesting concept — one that the film does not do justice. While “The Identical” has strong elements, the film just doesn’t live up to its potential and is a bit more than simply unsatisfying.
"The Identical" is rated PG for thematic material and smoking.
Reach the reporter at Samantha.Shotzbarger@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @SShotzbarger
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