Directed By Matt Brown

Starring – Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode, Jodi Balfour

The Plot – Set on the eve of WWII and towards the end of his life, the film sees Freud (Hopkins) invite iconic author C.S. Lewis (Goode) for a debate over the existence of God. Exploring Freud’s unique relationship with his lesbian daughter Anna (Liv Lisa Fries) and Lewis’ unconventional romance with his best friend’s mother (Balfour), the film interweaves past, present and fantasy, bursting from the confines of Freud’s study on a dynamic journey.

Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some bloody/violent images, sexual material and smoking.

FREUD’S LAST SESSION | Official Trailer (2023) (youtube.com)

POSITIVES

Much speculation has been made if Freud and Lewis did in fact meet before the former’s untimely death, and with Brown’s imaginative encapsulation, we have some idea how that interaction might have gone, if timing and the world crumbling down surrounding them didn’t objectify. This is if nothing else a fascinating idea that if in lesser hands could’ve emitted a religious persecution film, where the atheist in Freud transforms into a believer before films end, and while I’m not saying that doesn’t happen here, I can say that Brown respects each of their positions to point out all of the fallacies and coincidences of their respective vantage points. Because of such, the dialogue is very punctual in its assertiveness, before sporadically giving way to appreciated pockets of comedic levity that keep the conversation respectfully tasteful between sides, and the performances from Hopkins and Goode are downright stellar as they bring to life these pivotal historical figures with mountains of three-dimensional personality. To be fair, I’m not certain that their portrayals are factually accurate, but honestly I never required them to be, as the dynamic between Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode debating the world’s oldest philosophical question is one that more than kept me interested throughout the duration of the exchange, with ample opportunity for each of them to make the most of their impactful portrayals. Hopkins uses words as daggers for Sigmund Freud, asserting the condescending seal of his various observations, but also a frail vulnerability that we don’t typically associate with the legendary neurologist, which offers compassionate companionship between these first time associates. Goode’s approach is uniquely different than Hopkins’, as he plays Lewis a bit closer to the chest than his co-star, in that he guards his beliefs with protection from the naysayers, leading to stern sensibilities that emphasize his perspectives without downright costing us the charming allure of Goode’s radiance over the screen as a commanding force. As expected, the chemistry between them evolves with the duration and evolution of their many talking points and illustrated backstories, and while the aforementioned performances between them are brilliant, the film’s responsibility in refusing to utilize either of them as perfectly admirable figures only further conveys how beliefs and non were meant to be falliable, in turn outlining the very definitions of faith and insanity accordingly, but never simultaneously. Lastly, Brown’s unique vision makes the most of a limited budget with transfixing production values that seamlessly articulate a distinction in period and atmospheric dread of the dawn of World War II looming over these frightened people. The wardrobe, the foggy cinematography, and of course the detailed set decoration and designs all vividly showcase a period of grave uncertainty at a time for London, England, and when combined with the artistic merits inside of wartime and dream-like fantasy sequences, finds clever ways to subvert away from the claustrophobic confines of these cherished figures meeting under one roof.

NEGATIVES

On its own, the discussions and spirited debates between Freud and Lewis are enough to pack the butts into the seats, but it turns out that there’s very little compelling to “Freud’s Last Session” that maintains audience interests, especially with so many outside elements taking away from the focus of the narrative. Flashback sequences between the two men that transition from the confines of Freud’s home to the environments discussed at the forefront of the various subjects are fascinating inclusions, but a dominating subplot involving Freud’s daughter feels a bit out of place in this particular kind of framing, especially in what little comes in the exploration of her character. If the film kept her occasionally popping into the frame of these two discussing philosophies, then I could’ve appreciated what little intrusions she brought to the canvas, but the film noticeably sags in pacing and momentum each time the focus deviates away from Freud and Lewis, creating what feels like intentional padding to extend the film to its 103 minute run time that I’m not necessarily sure it needs or utilizes to its fullest extent, all in the desire to deviate away from the stage play in cinematic emphasis, which it never capably finds. In addition to the lack of details with some of Anna’s mentioned talking points, the answers for Freud and Lewis occasionally fall by the wayside of underwritten renderings, especially in why each of them feel so strongly about their positions on the existence of Christ. While one could surmize that the realities of the details in the flashbacks we’re shown about each could influence these aspects, nothing assembled ever feels like the driving emphasized point to their respective stances, leading to hollow outlines that seem to convey that beliefs or lack there of can easily be manipulated by one or two things in ones life not going the way they expected them to. Even the debates themselves eventually run out of gas and steam, as the script brings them back to the fray in ways that feel forcefully spoon-fed to how the conversations drift back to them, with an overall lack of urgency and energy that plague the duration of the proceedings. As previously conveyed, the scenes involving Freud and Lewis are easily the best and most meaningful of the film’s entirety, but because the dialogue never evolves in tone or tempo, it just kind of stalls in between these monumental talking points, with neither of the protagonists making a compelling or factual argument towards defeating the other. Finally, the ending itself is underscored dramatically, as not only does the discussion between Freud and Lewis run out of time, instead of resolve itself, but an inevitably promised confrontation by Freud and Anna doesn’t amount to a single solitary word between them, leading to a groaning resolution that feels a bit too convenient and bloodless to ever feel believable. As expected from such an abrupt fade-to-black transition that is prominent in most surface level biopics, the black canvas transitions to on-screen text involving some of the more fascinating elements in the lives of both Freud and Lewis, which only further distort and disappoints the idea in this concept, which fully succeeds its output in eventual execution. While I do appreciate a condensed focus into a specific time frame within the life of these iconic figures during biopics, it’s clear that the lack of factually accurate information from the merely speculated meeting didn’t lend itself to the entertainment value of the writing, creating an internal conflict within its conception that doesn’t exactly tranfer seamlessly from the stage to the screen.

OVERALL
“Freud’s Last Session” dissects speculation with two impactfully mesmerizing turns from Hopkins and Goode but can’t overcome the hinderances in limitations that unfortunately come to define this very shallow and unfocused script. With outsider intrusions obscuring focus and steam from the central narrative, as well as grounded dialogue in everything from tone to tempo, this spirited debate fizzles during the moments it should rightfully fuse, leading to another disappointing film this year, in which execution can’t come close to concept.

My Grade: 5/10 or C-