Another movie playing in very limited release. This one based on the true story of the father of psycho-therapy, Sigmund Freud, his protege turned rival Carl Jung, and the Russian patient of Jung’s that came in between them when Jung began an affair with her.
What Works: The movie nails the disappoints and resentments that come with any mentor and protege relationship. Viggo Mortensen is great as the knowledgable, but manipulative Sigmund Freud, lording over Jung like an arrogant and slightly resentful father. Michael Fassbender and Keira Knightley are also pretty good in the murkier roles of Jung and his patient, even if Knightley’s over-the-top technique is less enjoyable but makes sense for the role. Vincent Cassel steals a couple of scenes that he’s in as well. This is a character piece and that always brings out the best in a strong cast. If people remember this movie at all in a couple years it will be because of the performances.
What Doesn’t Work: Do NOT go see this movie in theaters. This is a small movie that will really work best at home in a few months instead of the exaggerated expectations (and ticket prices) of going to the theater. Even though it tries to have something original to say about sex, it just feels too slight and trivial to really play in theaters. I felt slightly let down paying so much to watch it and coming away with a movie that is essentially people talking about emotions in a way that is neither original or very deep. For a movie about therapists, it keeps you at a strange distance, never really becoming about anything larger than one therapist’s affair with his patient.
What I Would Have Done Differently: An actual Sigmund Freud biography. If you’re going to make a movie with epic historical characters, why give us such a small piece of their lives? Why not really delve into the birth of psychoanalysis, and make a thrilling exploration of the field and the man who lead it?