So, I hadn't really heard much about this movie until right before it's release date. Michael Fassbender and Keira Knightly in a crazy sexual movie that's also a historical period piece? Yes, please. I didn't really know much about the movie before getting into it although I was a little apprehensive because the trailer leads you to believe this will be a disturbing experience - as most mental illness movies become. Happily, that was not the case with this film. The movie had a limited release last November and made about $26 million, with about 75% being from foreign earnings.
The plot, which is surprisingly factual, is about the relationship between three of the prominent founders of pyschoanalysis - Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Sabina Spielrein. Sabina initially comes to Jung as a patient with severe psychosis and is treated with 'talk therapy'. She then becomes his colleague - and lover - which changes Jung's outlook and relationship with Freud, ultimately changing the shape of psychoanalysis.
There's a lot of information about the subject in the movie and I feel like I was learning while watching a riveting and compelling story. My kind of movie. There was nothing disturbing about the movie and in a very rare instance, the sex scenes did not feel (very) gratuitous and actually felt necessary. Heck, they were forming Freud's sexual theories at the time. The dynamics between the characters were complex and ever-changing without getting laborious. It was very nicely written. The only weakness was the time transitions, however this was probably connected with the editing of the film and not the screenplay.
The locations and wardrobe were great and really captured the time period. Some of the budget constraints could be seen in the background and sets, but it was a solid effort and not very distracting. Some of the angles and framing used to get the characters both into the scene were pretty awesome.
Keira Knightly really really really put herself out there for this role. Physically she did amazing. She was contorting her body, screaming with a Russian accent, performing crazy sex scenes, AND giving a great performance at the same time. It was almost as if you didn't want to watch her during her outbursts because it felt so personal but at the same time, you couldn't look away. Tons of respect for her performance here. I almost feel sad this movie didn't get more publicity to showcase her performance. Michael Fassbender really took on the role by the end of the film. He was quite rigid in the beginning, however so was his character. Viggo Mortensen (who has now done three movies with this director, the first being A History of Violence and the second, Eastern Promises) gives a very convincing performance of Freud - although I really don't know much about him one way or the other.
I ended up feeling smarter after watching this movie and more confused at the same time. There's a lot of information given in the movie (don't worry it doesn't feel condescending or overwhelming - somehow) but it also provides arguments for both sides of the theories the characters pose. I found myself questioning my own positions on the theories! Damn movie. Michael Fassbender and Keira Knightly were pretty spectacular and this will definitely be an addition to her resume. The movie does have some very intense bedroom scenes which is undoubtedly not for everyone. If you have doubts about Knightly as an actress, youtube some of her scenes and then see if you can't at least respect her effort. (okay, I couldn't find a clip of her performance, except one put to Skrillex but it shows pretty much the whole movie). "Experiences like this, however painful, are necessary and inevitable; without them how can we know them?".
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