FREUD’S LAST SESSION – A Review by Jenn Rohm
Armand Nicholi, a professor from Harvard, wrote “The Question of God”. He used letters written by Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis to compare their philosophies, which is also the basis of a course he taught. Mark St. Germain used the book to write a play in 2009. Director Matt Brown worked with Mark St. Germain to turn the play into the movie Freud’s Last Session.
The movie takes place in the first days of World War II at the end of Freud’s life. It is a known fact that he met with an Oxford don during this time of his life. The name of that don is unknown, it is possible it was C.S. Lewis, but it was also possible it was someone else.
With limited locations, it gave a live theater feeling as opposed to a movie vibe. With two strong actors in the lead roles, the acting itself did feel like a movie, which helped add some balance. Sadly, the script did not have anything driving it to the next moment or creating the ‘and then’ vibe to drive the movie forward. With a primary debate being the existence of God between a known atheist and a “Christian apologist”. It is a very cerebral movie.
Anthony Hopkins does look how I would expect Freud to look. His mannerisms did not line up with how I think Freud was. There were moments that I heard a bit of an Austrian accent and other moments where all I heard was Chianti and Fava Beans. Matthew Goode was C.S. Lewis, I do not know enough to know how his representation was. He held his own on the screen with Hopkins.
This is a movie you would have to be in the right frame of mind to watch and it isn’t for the mainstream public’s expectations. It will have a fan base; I am just not one of the members of that club.
Director: Matt Brown
Written By: Matt Brown, Mark St. Germain
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode, Jodi Balfour
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic material, some bloody/violent images, sexual material, and smoking.
Genres: Drama
Selig Rating: 2.5 stars
Runtime: 1h 48m
Release Date: January 12, 2023
Showing at Angelika Film Center Dallas and Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth
Website: Freud’s Last Session Website
Trailer: Freud’s Last Session Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
