AFI Fest 2023: Freud’s Last Session
AFI FestWithin the world of modern psychology and conversations of psychoanalysis, it is impossible to escape the influence and radical presence of Sigmund Freud. Recontextualizing and challenging understanding of sex and the mind, Freud is a complex figure who has faced modern debate and criticism both for his professional conclusions and personal views. In his sophomore feature effort, Freud’s Last Session, director Matt Brown looks to capture the features and complications of the figure in an adaptation of Mark St. Germain's stage play of the same name which itself is based on Armand Nicholi's novel, The Question of God. Set during the starting days of World War II and the final stretch of Freud's life, the feature sees a fictitious meeting between Freud (Anthony Hopkins) and C. S. Lewis (Matthew Goode) where the pair debate religion. This happens concurrently with a conversation regarding Freud's problematic relationship with his daughter, Anna (Liv Lisa Fries).
The concept of the legendary Anthony Hopkins playing a figure of this magnitude is a naturally seductive idea and, undoubtedly, it is his performance that is the best element of the feature. Hopkins brings a natural fire and viciousness to the role that highlights both the figures' stoic wisdom and deeper insecurities. While the film clearly respects and loves Freud, it also explicitly condemns him for his presence as a father. From rejecting Anna's lesbian identity to keeping her hostage by now allowing her to pursue any personal goals and forcing her to take constant care of him as he slowly withers away, the film portrays Freud as an incredibly selfish and egotistical individual. In a genre with countless examples of features taking controversial characters and wiping them clean for an easy presentation and celebration, one has to respect the film's ambition in this sense.
Rising in opposition to Hopkins is Goode and his portrayal of C. S. Lewis. Largely, it is Lewis' perspective and life that gives the film its greatest moments of emotional gravitas and power. Goode is rather fantastic here as he dances around the power of Hopkins, finding small openings to connect with a jab of emotion and presence. These two portrayals, both when individual and together, are the clear highlight of the film and it is a shame to see them get wasted within such a confused and underwhelming final product.
The problems are clear from the start with the biggest being focus. The film is all over the place with scope and message, not allowing a single through-line to truly develop into a worthy statement or thesis. While the film is clearly concerned with Freud's presence and mind, it seems far more interested in the struggles and emotions of Anna who sadly always gets pushed to the background of the narrative, feeling like a true afterthought by the end. This relationship entirely gets overshadowed by the debate between Freud and Lewis and trying to find some take on religion that never fully forms. Lewis himself also gets an individual arc that includes extended dream sequences that seem to be pushing for something profound and connected without ever actually finding that endpoint. This is all surrounded by the continued presence of World War II, something that gets injected time and time into the film both within Freud and Lewis' conversation and by news updates that come through on Freud's radio. This is a mess of a narrative and it is impossible to find a purpose for including so much within what turns out to be a bloated and dull 118-minute runtime.
It doesn't help that so many of these individual ideas feel so worthless. While some such as Lewis' backstory and the World War II connection simply don't have the time to expand on themselves, others like the debate around religion feel empty despite the amount of runtime dedicated to them. This debate between Freud and Lewis, as far as we know, didn't happen. This leaves others to write the takes and arguments of these two men without actually having their wisdom and power. Specifically in the film's extended efforts to create a compelling and sound logical defense of believing in God, the film fails and ends up feeling so hollow that it ruins any chance of actually creating something memorable or important. Whether these problems originate in the various source materials the film is drawing from or the screenplay written by Mark St. Germain, the results are painful as an overall viewing experience.
The visuals are also a rather big bore. Filled with an overly dull gray atheistic and a rather boring visual identity, there are but two true consistent positives behind the camera. The first is the score by Coby Brow. The score swells and moves with a wonderful power and rhythm that provides some sense of energy and craft in an otherwise lacking feature. The other would be the production design by Luciana Arrighi. Carrying influence from the film's history as a stage production, much of the feature is trapped in only a handful of locations and while the cinematography is flat, the actual base set and production design does feel lived in and is given a strong sense of authentic depth by Arrighi.
While there is clear potential within Freud’s Last Session, the film gets lost in its ambition and various perspectives. Clearly most interested in analyzing the character of Freud and breaking down the relationship he shared with his daughter, the film gets absolutely lost as it tries to tackle so many conversations and ideas that nothing ends up getting through.
