Though I haven't seen a majority of David Cronenberg's earlier films, his reputation and influence are undeniable. His films have been known to transport the viewer down some dark and twisted tunnels within the human psyche. Unfortunately, the only dark and twisted place A Dangerous Method transported me was to 1999, just in time for my 9:00 a.m. Psych 101 class. And much like my attitude toward the class, the only energy I could muster for the film was to stare blankly until it was over.
The film centers on the complex relationship between psychologist Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and his demented patient Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), with whom he eventually begins an affair, all while exploring the uneasy friendship between Jung and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen).
The two gentlemen have a nice chemistry on screen together, and their relationship was by far the most intriguing aspect of the film. Even though their dialogue was tedious to sit through, their performances kept me minimally interested, particularly when the friendship began to sour.
Unfortunately, the film tries to beckon the unsuspecting viewer with Sabina's story for the first 25 minutes...
I haven't been one to call for Knightley's head on silver platter since her career took off nearly a decade ago, but this was simply inhumane. Between the painful contorted facial expressions and the faux Russian (perhaps) accent, she destroyed all hope of being taken seriously, pushing the main plot of the film from dull to nearly unwatchable.
Outside a few passable performances and the beautiful backdrop of Zurich, A Dangerous Method is as exciting as a pictureless textbook on the subject matter. Perhaps it's time for Professor Cronenberg to take us out of the classroom and put us back into our nightmares.
Good review Rachel. The performances are good, even though Knightley may be over-acting quite a bit, and it looks great, but the film also just feels like a series of vignettes with no real feeling or drama to it. Basically what I’m trying to say was that I was bored and this story just never really got off the ground.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Utterly dull. Even with all the naughty sex.
DeleteI'm kind of the opposite with the characters. I loved Knightley in this and thought she was awesome. But I was bored to tears with everything else, nor did I care for the relationship stuff between Jung and Freud.
ReplyDeleteI thought Keira was entertaining on the level of staring at a horrific car wreck, well for the first 20-ish minutes. The rest of the time after the character "got better" was just as boring. Her over the top acting really didn't fit in well the drabness of the rest of the film. It was just a mess all around.
DeleteHowever, if Cronenberg went back to his twisted roots, I'd say definitely call on her again.
Great review - very creative and definitely confirms that I won't be seeing it.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I'm trying to understand the recent obsession the film blogging community has with Fassbender. I like the guy well enough, but I'm not a smitten kitten like everyone else. Shame pushed me toward him more, while this took me a step back.
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