You have to really dig deep to find a perfect performance in A Dangerous Method, unfortunately there isn’t a big cast from which to choose, Keira Knightley over acts, Viggo Mortensen very dull and Fassbender a little distant.  Disguised as a biography, it’s more of a blip on an electroencephalograph in the life of some noted psychoanalysts.

The movie features more of a story about Sabina Spielrein’s (credited as the first female psychotherapist) who was damaged by her father spanking the youngster as youngster up through pubescence during which she had sexual emotions. After reaching adulthood Spielrein’s emotions get the best of her so her mother sends her to noted psychoanalyst Carl Jung to be studied.  Jung discovers that Spielrein has a deep desire for masochism and treats her for it. After a few years Jung finds Spielrein has potential for being a clinical psychoanalyst so he awards her an internship, but not before having a sordid affair with her. Jung realizes he’s in jeopardy of being exposed for the tryst with Spielrein so he consults Sigmund Freud who helps him start to resist the temptations brought on by his lust for the woman.

Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortenson

The acting leaves a lot to be desired, mostly attributed to the script and direction by David Cronenberg who takes his actors and tries to transform them into unrealistic characters beyond their scope.  He then gives his moviegoers a segment of sexual perversion between Jung and Spielrein that creates an unusual visual in an attempt to peak curiosity.  Not a prude here, but in researching Spielrein on the Internet I found no evidence that she involved herself in the deviant practice.

Director David Cronenberg on the set with Viggo Mortensen

Cronenberg best known for his blood and aggression in movies such as Eastern Promises, The Fly, and History of Violence starts his film with a bit of over acting by Keira Knightley who distorts her face profusely, spatters and shows strong emotional distress.  Her extremely grotesque facial expressions look forced and fairly comical destroying any possible realism for me. This emotional outburst made me wonder why she wasn’t brought to Jung’s medical facility in a straightjacket instead of an unrestrained carriage ride.

Both Mortensen and Fassbender play their characters with a lot of deadpan seriousness probably trying to give their audience a picture of what a psychoanalyst should look like during the early 20^th century Austria.  To me, however, it was very stuffy, boring and lackluster. Cronenberg would have interested me more showing the works of Jung and Freud dealing with other patients so as to flesh out their characters.

But not all the acting is questionable in A Dangerous Method. Vincent Cassel as Otto Gross a tormented Austrian psychoanalyst and disciple of Sigmund Feud puts on a spirited show.  And Sarah Gadon does a fine job of playing the lovely Emma Jung, wife of the famous Therapist, who has to deal with a choice between love and family.

On the bright side, I did like the cinematography showing the early turn of the century Austria prior to the First World War.  The costumes, countryside, estates and scenic views are brilliant.

A Dangerous Method has been rated R by the MPAA for sexual content and brief language.  It also shows a scene of drug use.

FINAL ANALYSIS: A historical fragment of Jung and Freud, nothing more. (D)