Doubles – Double Play (2017)

Directed by: Ernest R. Dickerson | 130 minutes | drama | Actors: Lennie James, Bronson Pinchot, Colin Salmon, Louis Gossett Jr., Melanie Liburd, La La Anthony, Isaach De Bankolé, Barbara Eve Harris, Saycon Sengbloh, Alexander Karim, Mustafa Shakir, Dani Dare, Heather Jocelyn Blair

Do you ever read a book? There is a good chance that you have ‘Double Game’ by Frank Martinus Arion in your closet. In 2006 Arion’s best-known book, which he already wrote in 1973, was given to members of the library during the first edition of Nederland Leest. About 750,000 copies were distributed. Arion (1936-2015) is considered one of the most important Antillean writers, and ‘Doublespel’ is his most important (fictional) work. It was the first novel written from an all-black perspective. Arion was a major promoter of Papiamento and was involved in, among other things, the establishment of the first Papiamento-language secondary school. Nevertheless, he wrote most of his work in Dutch, perhaps with the underlying idea of ​​reaching the largest possible audience. That is in any case also the reason that the film adaptation of ‘Doublespel’ is spoken in English: to introduce as many people as possible to Curaçao, its culture, its inhabitants and of course the story, which is an outright Antillean classic. In the book, four men get together weekly for an afternoon of domino games. All four of them deal in their own way with the hurdles that they encounter in the Curaçao of about fifty years ago, marked by colonialism and social unrest. With a title like ‘Double Game’ you can bet that emotions are running high.

‘Double Game’ (2017) was made into a film by Ernest Dickerson, who, as a cinematographer alongside Spike Lee, made ‘Do the Right Thing’ (1989) and ‘Malcolm X’ (1992) and as a director, among others, made episodes of hit series such as “The Wire”, “Treme” and “The Walking Dead” on his resume. Dickerson has been coming to Curaçao since the mid-eighties and has lost his heart to the island. Nevertheless, he can take a look at the culture as an outsider. Dickerson also sees the island itself as a fully-fledged character and makes way for the multicolored and characteristic architecture. Screenwriters Alaric Smeets and Evan Jones added to Arion’s core a storyline set in the present. Ostrik (Colin Salmon), the son of one of the four domino players, returns to the island after years. He is a successful doctor in Europe, married to a Dutch woman and has his reasons for returning to the country of his birth. This ‘stranger’ must draw the viewer, who is approached as ignorant of Curaçao, into the story. Such an added character is a trick that is clearly aimed at getting the international movie audience on their way; for informed Dutch viewers the introduction (‘Curaçao as a proud melting pot, as a living paradox’) is in fact unnecessary.

It doesn’t take long before we dive into the past, where we meet the four domino players. Ostrik’s father is Boeboe Fiel (Alexander Karim), a meek lap swan who would rather spend his hard-earned money on whores than on his family. Much to the chagrin of his wife Nora (Saycon Sengbloh), who is increasingly desperate to make ends meet. When it turns out that her son Ostrik (Dani Dare) is being expelled from school as long as he doesn’t wear decent shoes, she decides to sell her body to Boeboe’s domino buddy Chamon (Lennie James). He earns a nice penny as a slum landlord, but because that wealth can cost him dearly as a foreigner, he keeps up appearances and pretends to be a pauper. Manchi Sanantonio (Mustafa Shakir) tries to survive by adopting the lifestyle of the former colonizer. He works as a bailiff, lives in the largest house in town and is married to the most beautiful woman on the island, the proud and combative Solema (Melanie Liburd). He should know nothing about her progressive views on women’s rights and social equality. Solema does find an audience with the fourth domino player, Ernesto (named Janchi Pau in the book – played by Isaach De Bankolé), a silent foursome with a strong leaning towards socialism.

The doubles from the title is not only the domino game itself (which is played two against two), but also the game that the two women play. It is especially these women who manage to win our sympathy. Women who dare to be strong, in a culture where they are little more than a wipe. Who want to go to extremes to get what they want. They know what they want, where the men in their lives just mess around. Whether intentionally or not, the women pit the men against each other. It is up to the men to deal with this in the right way. Of all the themes in the film (including poverty and social oppression), this is the strongest. ‘Double game’ is filmed warmly and stylishly and gives all the space to the island to shine. The older Ostrik is let by a Lou Gossett Jr. pretended taxi driver driving around the island: in the film, Curaçao seems a lot wider than the 450 square kilometers it actually counts. The soundtrack enhances the Antillean atmosphere, but is sometimes too much present. It is understandable that the makers wanted to merge the present and the past, but it doesn’t turn out flawlessly and sometimes feels rather artificial. In atmosphere and visuality, Dickerson hits the nail on the head with ‘Double Game’ and the film is well acted. However, the story does not grab us like Frank Martinus Arion did with his novel.