Freud’s Last Session review by Bobby Blakey
Throughout his impressive career Sir Anthony Hopkins has given so many brilliant performances and they seem to keep on coming. His latest film, Freud’s Last Session has him taking on the role of Sigmund Freud with Matthew Goode as C.S. Lewis based on the stage production of the same name from Mark St. Germain which is based on the book The Question of God, by Armand Nicholi. Could this film bring the power of these two historic icons to successful life, or will it be a discussion not worth pondering?
Freud’s Last Session follows Sigmund Freud, a recent escapee with his daughter from the Nazi regime, in his final days who receives a visit from the formidable Oxford Don C.S. Lewis. On this day, September 3rd, 1939, two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century intimately engage in a monumental session over the belief in the future of mankind and the existence of God.
Going into this film you know it’s going to be heavy handed on the dialogue and much like what I assume the stage production would be it is just that. Even with the bigger sets in some of the flashback and war sequences it still very much has that stage feel which is perfect for the direction of what is being put out here. It’s important to note that this is not a true story, but one that is speculated due to an unknown Oxford professor that met with Freud shortly before his death that could have been Lewis or not.
The performances between Hopkins and Goode are outstanding. They both give top notch performances that fully embrace both of their intellects and insecurities that makes them interesting. Every moment they are on screen is compelling and thought provoking. I wished that the entire film might have been streamlined down to just focus on their dialogue as it does weave in and out of their pasts to
inject more depth to the story, but also fragments the story a little too much.
Let me be clear, it is still an interesting story as it stands. It just takes you in and out of the varying elements of this story and never fully allows you to get invested in all of it. Thankfully the powerful performances of Hopkins and Goode keep it on track when it veers back to their session and really brings the film back to where it needs to be.
There isn’t a lot to be said about this film outside of praising their performances as it really is witnessing this master class in acting that makes it work better than it might have otherwise. In a time where most films that really get any kind of push are the big genre and tentpole films it is great seeing something that stands out on its own and relies on the actors and not the effects and nonsense to really sell it.
Decide for yourself and check out Freud’s Last Session in theaters now from Sony.