Freud’s Last Session
Directed by Matthew Brown
Written by Mark St. Germain and Matthew Brown, based on the play by Mark St. Germain
Starring Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode
Classification PG; 122 minutes
Opens in theatres Jan. 12
At the dawn of the Second World War, a dying Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins) meets with author C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode) for a theological conversation that spans the pivotal moments of each man’s life. Based on the play by Mark St. German and directed by Matthew Brown, the fictional tête-à-tête contains an interesting and compelling premise, particularly since questions of religion and science (and the trauma that shapes one’s psyche) work to create a bounty of material for each actor to sink themselves into.
Unfortunately, despite commanding and committed performances by Hopkins and Goode, Freud’s Last Session opts to break up what could be powerful scenes between the men with repetitive flashbacks and clips from the past and present. And what could be a timely and revelatory film about reconciling one’s own demons becomes a disjointed narrative that snaps you out of each emotional moment.
The film’s objectives are grand, and its cast sometimes rises to the occasion, but Freud’s Last Session is ultimately an instance in which less would certainly have been more.
Special to The Globe and Mail