‘Freud’s Last Session’ review: Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode deliver stunning performances in smart, roaring drama – AFI Film Fest

In the wake of the wonderful year 2019 The two pausein which Anthony Hopkins played the role of Pope Benedict The Chronicles of Narnia Author and theologian CS Lewis (played by Matthew Goode) on the existence of God. As with The two pause There is no evidence that a meeting ever took place, but it clearly provides a lot of material to dig into. This is exactly what Mark St. Germain did when he created his piece in 2009 Freud’s last session, which was based on the Harvard lectures by Dr. from 1967. Armond M. Nicholi Jr. in his lecture “The Question of God: CS Lewis and Sigmund Freud Discuss God, Love, Sex and the Meaning of Life.”

Now St. Germain adapted his play for the screen in collaboration with director Matthew Brown, whose job it is to open up a largely thought-provoking and intellectual exercise in making it all work. Movie instead of a filmed play. So we have flashbacks to scenes of war, love, family conflict, etc., but the focus is still on the words, and if you’re into that, there’s a lot to think about here, especially because you can’t just relate to them Time. The story takes place in 1939 – three weeks before Freud’s suicide at the age of 83 – but also terribly far away in a world that is incredibly divided, where people choose sides in their deep-seated beliefs and refuse to truly communicate with those with whom they do not agree. It is also a time when the winds of war are gathering strength (Hitler invaded Poland, Britain declared war on Germany) and other depressing signs that the world is collapsing.

Freud’s last session celebrates its world premiere today at AFI Fest.

With this in mind, we are invited to this meeting of these brilliant minds who come together to talk about their core religious beliefs: the scientist Freud, a convinced non-believer in God, versus the writer and theologian Lewis, who has a more hopeful and approach spiritual altogether. in conflict with his host. Brown combines images of the forests that run through Lewis’s mind with Freud’s studies of darker visions and dreams.

We get to know each person through their lived experiences. There is Freud’s childhood, life in Vienna and the difficult relationship with daughter Anna (an excellent Liv Lisa Fries), who actually followed her father into the family business but quietly developed a romantic relationship with Dorothy Burlingham (a good Jodi Balfour), which she managed to survive forty years after her father’s death, although it was suppressed during his lifetime due to his strict views on the mating order of men and women.

As for Lewis, there are long flashbacks to his time on the battlefield in the First World War and his friendship with his best friend Paddy Moore. They promise that whoever gets out alive will have to go back and make sure everyone’s single parent is taken care of. Paddy dies during the war, and Lewis more than makes good on his promise, shockingly entering into a complicated sexual partnership with Paddy’s mother, Janie Moore (The one from Star Trek Orla Brady). His close friendship with other literary giants is evident from his membership of The Inklings. There are further digressions, but the film always returns to the core of its idea of ​​an open dialogue between two very different men, one of whom knows that he will die soon (Freud actually suffered from painful jaw cancer).

What makes this an event for serious (and in this case, better) moviegoers are the performances, especially Hopkins, who has always brought an entertaining, often playful tone to his portrayals of real-life figures from our history (well, maybe not Nixon) ). He seems to enjoy delving into Freud’s nooks and crannies here (previously it was Montgomery Clift, played most memorably but very differently late in his career in John Huston’s flawed 1962 drama). Freud). As in his recent Oscar-winning performance in the father, It is moving to watch this portrait of a man with a still vital spirit build to a crescendo in his final days.

Hopkins is once again, you guessed it, award-worthy. It is still a joy to see this great actor at the height of his powers. Goode is equally good even in the less flashy role, perfectly balancing both Hopkins and Moore, his frustrated lover.

Brown (The man who knew infinity) tries hard to make it all visually interesting, and somewhat succeeds in a difficult task in an endeavor where words and ideas take center stage. Those moviegoers willing to undergo this fascinating fictional encounter will find much food for thought.

Producers are Alan Griesman, Hannah Leader, Tristan Orpen Lynch, Rick Nicita, Robert Stillman and Meg Thomson.

Title: Freud’s last session
Festival: AFI Party
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Release date: December 22, 2023
Director: Matthew Brown
Screenwriters: Matthew Brown, Mark St. Germain (based on his play)
Form: Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode, Liv Lisa Fries, Jodi Balfour, Orla Brady
Time: 2 hours 1 min