Serious Movie Lover

A DANGEROUS METHOD (2011/IN THEATERS)   Canadian Director David Cronenberg’s new film featuring a top-notch cast (Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen and Keira Knightley) appears to be much more popular with critics than with viewers—too much “talking” many say in their comments.  The reason for this perhaps lies in the film’s source since the movie is an adaptation of Christopher Hampton’s 2002 stage play “The Talking Cure” (which itself is based on the 1993 non-fiction book by John Kerr entitled “A Most Dangerous Method:  the Story of Jung, Freud and Sabina Spielrein”). Hampton—an Oscar winner for his 1988 screen adaptation of his play Dangerous Liaisons–is credited with the screenplay for this film.  Of note, he was nominated again in 2007 for adapting Ian McEwan‘s novel Atonement.   This time around, we have Fassbender playing a young Carl Jung, living in Zurich with his wealthy wife and just getting connected with Vienna-based Mortensen as his eventual father figure Sigmund Freud.  The opening shots introduce us to the third party in this triangle—a Russian patient heading to Jung for treatment.

Michael Fassbender and Keira Knightley in character

She is Sabina Spielrein who suffers from numerous afflictions and for whom Jung recommends the new “talking cure.”  Critics (and viewers) are split on Knightly’s performance, which is certainly intense, and some have criticized her Russian accent.  But I found her portrayal to be edge-y and excellent—she is a bundle of nerves with a quick brain.  As you’ll know if you’ve seen any previews, she’s also a fan of the combination of spanking and sex.  Aha!  You knew it was a Cronenberg movie after all, right?  Jung falls for young Sabina and is also influenced by another mad patient—Otto Gross (an excellent Vincent Cassell)—who encourages him to taste all that the world has to offer.  The film moves across a number of years as Freud and Jung come together, and then apart, in their ideas of just how their new science should progress.  Mortensen has received good reviews for his performance as Freud and you can see why in the film.  He gives a nuanced and quiet, but very detailed, version of the elder statesman of psychoanalysis.  I for one really enjoyed this film and would love to see it again.  I recommend it for fans of psychology and history—the costumes and sets are very well done.  It’s unfortunate that audiences have decided to diss almost anything Keira Knightley does these days.  She gives a very strong performance here IMHO.  And frankly any chance to watch Mr. Fassbender at work is more than worth it.   Recommended for a future DVD rental.

Grade:             A-