A Dangerous Method

This mature tale from the promising combination of David Cronenberg and Christopher Hampton is a bit too simpleminded for its weighty subject matter.  Movies about psychoanalysis are really hard to pull off because films are short and psychoanalysis is long.  When a story tries to fit the multitude of tiny events that occur over the course of years of therapy or analysis into the simple beats of a cinematic narrative, it almost always ends up feeling contrived.  Even in the best of these films, where the process of psychoanalysis is represented by a simple breakthrough rather than explored in detail, the actual breakthrough scene is often hard to accept--think 1991’s The Prince of Tides.

A Dangerous Method is more about the originators of “the talking cure” than a study of how it works, but scenes of period psychoanalysis are still needed to enhance the film’s narrative.  The three leads in the film handle their roles skillfully, especially Keira Knightley, who makes some bold choices that I’m sure many will find laughable but I thought were quite effective.  The film’s biggest drawback is its inherent staginess; I couldn’t help but wonder how much more successful Hampton’s theatrical version must have been.