A Dangerous Method indeed

**This review will discuss things that might be inappropriate to younger readers and those who are sensitive.  I will be discussing sexual matters, only because of the material in the film.  Just letting you know now.**

            Greetings lovers of the theater!  My name is TheCinemaChick and I love watching movies of all sorts.  Once again, I went on sort of a bender and watched three movies in one day at three theaters.  Yeah…not my most brilliant idea ever but it sure was fun.  So, the first on my list was A Dangerous Method, which stars Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortenson.  I won’t like, I love Viggo Mortenson.  He’s one of my all time favorite actors.  The whole reason I watched this movie is because once upon a time, before I ever considered being a writer, I wanted to be a psychiatrist.  I studied psychology and sociology for two years before realizing that I was better suited in the liberal arts department.

            So, I know a lot about Freud and Jung thanks to my miniscule background in psychology.  I don’t necessarily agree with either of them, but I respect them for the contributions to the field.  The thing is, Freud just annoys me.  If a woman has a mental issue, she’s hysterical and it’s probably because she has a sexual problem.  Yeah…I’m sure my depression is directly related to sex. 

            Despite my dislike of Sigmund Freud, I found this movie enjoyable.  It goes beyond the psychological aspect to show what Jung’s life was like.  Once again, I can’t say if this completely accurate, but if it was, wow…that man had a busy life.  A wife, kids and two mistresses?  I can’t imagine juggling career, family and side projects, though I have done it before.  I even wrote my first villanelle about it.  See, I was still sort of dating Kitzy but I was sort of dating a boy I knew in high school…and the irony being, everyone who read it thought it was about sex.  It wasn’t…just about being emotionally attached to two guys.  Though, I suppose calling it “The Affair” didn’t help my case.

            I’ll admit, I’m not a fan of Keira Knightley.  I don’t think she’s a great actress or even that attractive.  A lot of my guy friends think she’s hot but I guess I need a guy’s mind to understand.  However, in this film, at least for a third of it, I actually liked her.  She plays a Russian woman named Sabina Spielrein.  According to the epilogue, she did go on to be a prominent woman in psychology, but I’ve never heard of her, so I can’t really say anything.  Her entrance into the film was amazing though.  She’s brought it, suffering from an unnamed mental disorder.  Knightley really went all out with her performance.  She’s screaming, fighting the orderlies and she’s absolutely hideous.  I don’t know how I could even begin to accurately describe her because it’s just so incredible. 

            However, as the film progressed, I was less than impressed with her.  Even though she is supposed to be Russian, she loses her accent many times and comes off as her natural British voice and sometimes, even American.  In the third act of the movie, she is entirely forgettable.  In the second act however, she had a few moments where she could have been brilliant but just stops short of it.

            This is where the review will get a little R rated, so send the kiddies out of the room now.  Like I said, there is a sexual undertone to the entire film.  It’s discussed many times but there are three scenes that explicitly involve the act.  Two of are fairly tame as both Fassbender and Knightley stay completely dressed.  Yes, they have sex, but there’s also a scene where Sabina and Jung give in to their darker desires and she gets spanked by him.  The second spanking scene is a little more risqué since she is topless and you do see her breasts.

            While the topic of bondage is a prevalent one, it’s not shown in a graphic manner.  It’s mostly talked about and there is very little sex.  The only thing that happens is what I just mentioned.  Sabina and Jung have an affair, she gets spanked a few times then Jung finds another mistress, who is never seen and only mentioned.  All that put together is enough to turn some people away from this.  However, if you didn’t know all this was in A Dangerous Method, you haven’t seen the trailer.  Yes, it is all alluded to in the trailer for this film.  If you don’t believe me, go watch it.

            Vincent Cassel shows up for an extended cameo and he’s brilliant.  He is committed to the hospital where Jung is working but he manages to escape.  For the most part, his character only speaks out against monogamy and expresses his desire to be able to love multiple women.  There is also a brief sexual scene between him and a nameless maid.  It’s not bad, but breasts are shown which might offend some people.

            If you can get past the sexual motifs and brief, slightly BDSM moments, the movie is actually really good.  It’s well written, has superb acting and its entertaining.  While it doesn’t have action or big sweeping scenery, it’s just a good movie that wont’ be getting the recognition it deserves.  Viggo Mortenson was nominated for a Golden Globe, which he didn’t win then was completely ignored by the Oscars.  In this critic’s opinion, Fassbender, Mortenson and Knightley deserved some acknowledgement of their masterful performances.

            I’m TheCinemaChick and its Mumford’s birthday.  Happy Birthday Mumford.