A Dangerous Method

Sinfully unexciting. Formally, A Dangerous Method is a film with very little to reproach, and it will probably delight film theorists, but I’d be lying to myself if I gave it a higher rating. I just didn’t like it, I didn’t find it interesting in the least and the idea of having to watch it again is pretty terrifying. Cronenberg’s old perversion and subversiveness have disappeared under a ton of academically precise make-up, and now just bubble peacefully deep beneath the surface. And looking for it is not fun. (29/01/2012)

Art Nouveau pure filmmaking about dirty things inside a person. A comprehensive network of relationships man vs. woman, father vs. son, Freudianism vs. Jungianism - yet very simple and accessible... Masterful direction, the breathtaking Mortensen, precise Fassbender and surprisingly demonic Keira Knightley (probably in the role of her life). And a script with dialogues so brisk, funny and intelligent that I consider this film to be one of the top experiences of recent months. (14/01/2012)

David Cronenberg directed an excellent film, which is mainly adorned with strong performances. Personally, I have always been interested in Freud and to some extent identify with his theories, so I would rate the movie even higher. For some, it may be full of "psychobabble," but I really enjoyed the discussions between Jung and Freud, as well as Jung and Spielrein. Cronenberg perfected his last film to Hollywood perfection, but it fits the time period, concept, and story quite well. (22/11/2013)

I would expect some wild in the form of decapitated heads or at least explicit sexual creations from David Cronenberg, but there is nothing like that in this film. Well, there is a certain effort towards the latter, but it's more of an artistic walk around it rather than something happening. So, as viewers, we're left with nothing else but to rely on the superb performances, the sensitive film aesthetics, the excellent period setting, and exceptionally well-handled psychology, skillfully transferred onto the big screen. When philosophical debates don't come across as boring or complicated, but quite the opposite, and they even have some pretty excellent points. It's just that the whole thing feels a bit cold and too overly contrived. (16/12/2013)

I would gladly play with Miss Spielrein and smoke a cigar with Freud, but I’d rather sit down by Lake Zurich than take a part in his long-winded dialogues with the malleable and indecisive Jung. Viggo Mortensen is great and the visual esthetics delicious, but there are no emotions. A film where mainstream stars recite phrases only a few viewers will understand. Compared to this, Polanski’s Bitter Moon was far more poetic and passionate in its testimony about the dark corners of human sexuality. (27/02/2012)