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A Dangerous Method (2011)

Director: David Cronenberg

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21 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

The early years of the twentieth century in Austria and Switzerland are the theatre for this untypical, restrained drama from David Cronenberg, working from Christopher Hampton’s adaptation of his play about the friendship between Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and the role in their lives of Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley, pictured), a mental patient-turned-psychoanalyst. The theatrical origins of ‘A Dangerous Method’ are evident in the script’s series of conversations, interrupted by walks outdoors and a spot of spanking à deux. The Cronenbergian blood might be limited to a close-up of Spielrein’s underwear after Jung takes her virginity, but if we’re wondering where ‘A Dangerous Method’ fits in the director’s career, maybe we could see this as a late-career primer for newcomers to the Canadian’s heady and subversive filmography?

There’s a hint of Magritte in the film’s colours and how Jung and Freud’s smart clothes and the film’s near-prissy production design are mere fronts to the discussion of stormy ideas. There are flashes of humour, such as when Cronenberg cuts from a chat between Jung and Freud to a table of kids, but mostly the look and feel of ‘A Dangerous Method’ is conservative and talky. This feels appropriate, if limited, but more problematic is the loss of focus on ideas later on as the script takes more of an interest in Jung and Spielrein’s affair. The most compelling scenes are those between Mortensen and Fassbender, while Knightley gives a fair performance but lumbers herself with a distracting accent, and her gurning in the early scenes may be too much for some to bear.

Author: Dave Calhoun

Time Out London Issue 2164: Feb 9-15, 2012

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User reviews of this film

Tat said...

Posted on May 18 2012 11:02 Story is interesting. But Keira acting absolutely not convincingly. Hardly ever fished to watch the film.

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Jan said...

Posted on Mar 18 2012 09:07 I was surprised that the discussion of sexuality presented in this film did not seem to cover the issue which faced most women at that time - the risk of getting pregnant. More generally I have always wondered why Freud did not seem to consider this aspect of the topic. Perhaps it reflects the male dominated nature of psychoanalysis at the time - and now if this film in anything to go by. It seemed a very male view of its subject.

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Rob said...

Posted on Mar 13 2012 16:10 I really don't know what everyone is raving on about....oh that's right, I wouldn't, because I walked out half way through the movie. Boring, pointless and monotone.

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Vacation247 said...

Posted on Feb 27 2012 11:33 I think this is a departure for Cronenberg in that it's an elegant exploration of the human mind. Those expecting some kind of biological horror will be disappointed, but I was immersed in this incredibly deliberate telling of three people who happened to meet at a crucial time in their lives and work. I think it knocks every other period film I've seen into a cocked hat. Oh, and Fassbender is peerless - a true chameleon.

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paul said...

Posted on Feb 27 2012 11:20 I think the movie falls short on what one could expect in many regards. The plot is a wikipedia-what-happened type of thing, the acting is quite mediocre, with a peak in Vincent Cassel, in my opinion, and an embarassing performance of Knightley, whose OTT screaming and ridiculous accent are just not right. Both the main actors are forgettable by large, and the Cronenberg signature style not recognizable.

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ele said...

Posted on Feb 25 2012 23:21 excellent. Keira Knightley is phenomenal

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Alfredo said...

Posted on Feb 24 2012 19:53 A very interesting movie based on a true story that cannot be told otherwise. K.K. acts very well.

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Tom said...

Posted on Feb 24 2012 12:06 Really surprised by this film. Okay, it's not The Fly but it IS a really interesting insight into the birth of psychoanalysis and two men who literally changed the way we think. I took my parents (not your average Cronenberg fans!) and they went nuts for it. Plus, who doesn't want to see Michael Fassbender spanking Keira Knightley!?

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Very Good said...

Posted on Feb 24 2012 10:07 Liked this a lot. Yes it's slow burning, but interesting, amusing, alarming - best bits were Freud and Jung's meetings - Keira Knightly doesn't bug me for some reason. Thought she was fine. So, I agree with the reviewer on those points, except thought the 'gurning' was acceptable, though funny.

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Lina said...

Posted on Feb 23 2012 12:13 If you want to be stimulated by something other than big-budget action movies, then this gorgeously shot film by master of control David Cronenberg offers us a view of a fascinating meeting of the minds, not to mention a spot of spanking by the divine Michael Fassbender. Oscar winning writer Christopher Hampton makes a meal out of this explosive combo. Not boring, but brilliant. This is a film for people who want to think.

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Jay said...

Posted on Feb 22 2012 17:47 A fantastic film. Excellent performances from the three leads - Kinghtley has indeed never been better. The cool, detached style matches the clinical nature of Freud and Jung's observations about sexuality. It's subtle, complex and gripping from start to finish.

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Sutton said...

Posted on Feb 22 2012 13:25 An interesting film, despite my mis-givings about seeing a film with Knightley in (the gurning and accent were irritating, really she should be seen and not heard). Fassbender and Mortensen were good.

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David said...

Posted on Feb 22 2012 09:05 I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Its a slow burner and very dialogue heavy but there is a sense of these real figures. Many non fiction adaptations don't leave you with a true reflection. Its good an elegant cinematography and the acting is superb. Never been a fan of Knightley but she is believable and to see her development whilst Fassbender descends into breakdown is very intriguing. As for Viggo, I wasn't sure he would be a good fit but the shrewd, assured and knowledgeable aspect is apparent and frankly accurate of Freud. Certainly not for everyone but well shot, excellent script, and clever interplay and reactions between the actors gave this a sense of real life, psychology and society at this time for me. Worth a viewing certainly.

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Matt said...

Posted on Feb 21 2012 15:05 Saw it last night. Great film with amazing performances. Wasn't always fan of KK but she's brilliant in this.

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Mabel said...

Posted on Feb 21 2012 15:03 I thought the film was exquisite, an incredible insight into these two good doctors and their great minds. It is a different film from Cronenberg, but no less compelling.

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