A Glimpse Into the Mind of Genius

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MOVIE REVIEW
Freud's Last Session
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Genre: Drama
Year Released: 2023
Runtime: 1h 48m
Director(s): Matt Brown
Writer(s): Matt Brown, Mark St. Germain
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode, Liv Lisa Fries, Jodi Balfour, Jeremy Northam, Stephen Campbell Moore
Where To Watch: in select theaters now

RAVING REVIEW: In FREUD’S LAST SESSION, director Matt Brown orchestrates an absorbing and thought-provoking encounter between two of history's most fascinating minds, Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode bring depth and nuance to their respective roles, set against a meticulously crafted backdrop that blends historical authenticity with dramatic imagination. Though the film opens with a deliberate pace, it soon evolves into a captivating expedition into deep philosophical territories. I would have liked to have dove deeper into what made these two historical icons tick and what a back-and-forth between them would have genuinely been like if unimpeded for a narrative flow.

Hopkins, embodying Freud, navigates the complexities of a mind wrestling with terminal illness. His portrayal, a masterful blend of assertiveness and vulnerability, shines particularly in the interactions with his on-screen daughter, Anna (Liv Lisa Fries), adding layers of personal conflict to Freud’s intellectual rigor. It should come as no surprise that Hopkins delivers a stellar performance; it will always be a shame to me that he had such a long period where he wasn’t given the roles he deserved. I won’t ever say that he had a bad period in acting, but he had a time when Hollywood wasn’t sure how to use him best.

Matthew Goode’s C.S. Lewis, an Oxford academic newly converted to Christianity, is on the other side of the ideological spectrum. His portrayal offers a refreshing contrast to Freud's staunch atheism. Their intellectual engagements, rich in substance, sometimes veer towards theatricality, lacking the spontaneity of genuine conversation. This makes sense as the film was adapted from the stageplay initially.

One of the movie's highlights is its visual storytelling style; director Brown uses the camera to delve into the characters' psyches, painting a vivid picture of their innermost thoughts and dreams. Occasionally, the dialogue feels like they’re attempting to over-explain things by tackling them repeatedly. The impact of the script is there; it just feels a bit repetitive at times.

FREUD’S LAST SESSION walks a fine line when navigating the adaptation from stage to screen. The film grapples with translating some of the depth of theatrical dialogue into the cinematic language, sometimes struggling to maintain audience engagement unless you’re fascinated by philosophy (which I am, lol.) Hopkins and Goode offer strong performances; I think most would agree, though it would have been fun to see them in somewhat of a traditional debate format. Two incredible minds just unleashed would have been amazing. These aren’t so much knocks on the film as just what I would have liked to have seen.

The subplot featuring Freud's daughter, Anna, provides a more ground-level, real-world human counterpoint to the film’s intellectual musings. It provides an interesting mix in the movie, taking you to a completely different type of exchange between Frued and someone else.

FREUD’S LAST SESSION is an intellectually engaging film that benefits from the robust performances of its leading actors. However, its close adherence to its stage origins and a script that occasionally feels forced detract from its potential to captivate as a fully dynamic cinematic experience. The film underscores the unique challenges in adapting theatrical works for the silver screen, where visual storytelling and character development are critical components.

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[photo courtesy of SONY PICTURES CLASSICS]

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