A Dangerous Method: Frozen Surface, Dangerous Interior

[Editors Note: We have two correspondents from Venice this year. And I feel the need to remind everyone that these opinions do not reflect the opinion of management; Nathaniel is without opinion as he is not in Venice. But he is enjoying reading these reports. Here is Ferdi from Italy, critic for, offering us bite sized opinions again. Enjoy. - Nathaniel]

I love David Cronenberg unconditionally and I know from past experience that his movies are not what they seem at the very first. We have to recognize that they always need more viewings, they are so complex. A Dangerous Method is a beautifully shot period piece. It's wonderfully acted movie especially by Michael Fassbender (heartbreaking) and Viggo Mortensen (Brilliant and should be in the supporting actor race). It's about the relationship between Carl Jung, patient-psychotic Sabina Spielreinand Sigmund Freud. Cronenberg has directed period pieces before (M Butterfly, Spider, Naked Lunch) and he's not new to melodrama either (in many of his movies there's a deep melodramatic soul). The origin of psychoanalysis, which explores what is inside the body and invisible to the eye fits his radical cinematic world perfectly. Still, A Dangerous Method seems the least Cronenberg-esque of his movies. Although the score and the  visuals are stunning -- lighting, sets, costumes, all gorgeous and perfect -- there's something missing here. If this frozen, crystallized surface is marvelous, maybe the inside world must be a dangerous place, crowded with demons: sexual repression, animal instinct, guilt, death, desire. And this is the place where Croneberg wants to go. 

Viggo in Venice © Fabrizio SpinettaFassy as shot by our correspondent Ferdi himself!

The first section is the best, powerful and alarming, with Keira Knightley sadistically used by Cronenberg as a shouting beast; she vomits out all her inner demons in a physical acting style that's sometimes difficult to watch. When the therapy and the love affair take root, everything begins to slow down. The narrative style normalizes and the movie changes into a beautiful restrained drama packed with visual elegance. There are still some moments blessed with the typical, disturbing Cronenberg-touch but my first impression is that the auteur could have gone further and deeper with this material. 

Madonna uses the camera as a little girl who has just received a toy she wants so badly that she forgets to read the instructions. W.E., her second directorial effort, tries to emulate the flourishing visual style of Tom Ford's A Single Man (and even abuses the melodramatic violins of Abel Korzeniowski). It also too closely resembles the narrative structure of Julie & Julia insisting parallelism between two stories: the romance between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson and a never convincing contemporary story about a bored and depressed young woman who becomes obsessed with the American adventuress.

Let's be clear: W.E. is not a truly bad movie. Last night Un Eté Brulent by Philipp Garrell, which screened in the official selection, was much more awful. It's just that W.E. is very easy to attack. Abbie Cornish is beautiful to watch although her character is ridiculous and Andrea Riseborough is really very good as Wallis , but W.E. seems only a long commercial spot from start to finish. It's empty, superficial and naive and maybe also a little dishonest. It's all about Madonna's obsession with fashion, beauty, richness, music, and British Royals. That's it.

Comments

[RJ]

Cannot wait for Dangerous Method. Feels like a movie I want to be part of the discussion about.

[caroline]

Viggo <3. Cannot believe that man is over fifty. I love him more every year.

[Nathaniel R]

caroline -- he's aging very well and actually aging too. Which is a nice combo :) plus he's getting more and more talented which is not always something that happens with age.

[Danielle]

Keira's performance seems to be universally well-liked in the 2nd 2/3rds, but the first third is divisive. I thought such a physical performance would be more rewarding, but I guess it's a bit jarring. But I have to point out that in Jung's own journal he said that Sabina had "masses of tics" and it sounds like Keira emulates just that. If she's accurate, then some of the criticism seems invalid. :/

[Poppy]

Well, I don't think playing somebody with tics, and just general craziness, gives you free license to go all out. You're still playing a person. People like to defend keira by saying "...well, she's playing a crazy person, what do you expect?!" but you don't just seizure your body and throw yourself around a room and call it a job well done, Craziness well executed! We'll see but I just want to see her to act this character from the inside out and have her play her mannerisms from somewhere emotionally based and not have her play the motions thinking that's the most important part. As if all those tic-tacs make up the character and depth, you know what I'm saying?

[leon]

Isn't it interesting how the first big Oscar players received a mixed response for the critics in Venice?

From Rotten Tomatoes:
-Carnage: 4 reviews / 100% fresh; N/A average rating (I think Waltz, the Screenplay and Score are the best spots. Maybe Winslet and Foster, but Winslet was overshadowed in some reviews and Foster has bigger competition)
-A Dangerous Method: 5 reviews / 80% fresh; 6.5 average rating (I knew this film will be very polarized -Especially after reading the original play-. There's still Toronto and New York, but I predict the same result. Potential noms in technical categories and maybe Viggo in supporting. For Knightley, she's still in running, but I don't think she'll make it even for the nomination. Yes, AMPAS can nominate polarized performances, but in these cases are for Oscar darlings -Penn, Foster, Blanchett, even Streep-. Maybe a GG and BAFTA)
-The Ides of March: 9 reviews / 89% fresh; 7.2 average rating (Gosling, Wood and score -Again for Desplat- are the best shots)
-W.E: 5 reviews / 20% fresh; 4 average rating (Only Costume is likely)

Also the first reviews for The Descendants and Albert Nobbs:

-The Descendants: Possible BP and Clooney in the running for winning Best Actor. Also Woodley is a revelation
-Albert Nobbs: Very mixed reviews for the film, but Glenn Close raved. And Nathaniel, Janet McTeer is in the running...

[Mirko]

more I'm reading about W.E more I'm curious watching it...but I'm with Ferdi: it must be a movie easy to attack

[Rose]

@ Poppy - If you've ever seen someone become hysterical in real life you'd understand that its more than just a mental disease; it has a very strong physical presence that should not be diluted down. You cant portray that using an 'inside-out' approach. That emotional consiousness is something that emerged as her condition improves.

Watch any of the interviews with Cronenberg and Knightley in Venice about Spielran and you'll see why they opted for an 'outside-in' approach.

Fast Forward to 15mins if you want
http://www.rai.tv/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-87964f37-f286-4de9-8aa7-114e001f0787-raimovie.html?refresh_ce#p=0

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/123923820

[Mark]

All this critical talk of A Dangerous Method and Knightley in it is so exciting! Makes me wanna see it even more.

I was holding my breath for W.E. but when I found out she was using Tom Ford's A Single Man costume designer and composer, I knew she might've talked to him as well. Sounds like she only took about half of his thoughts and advice on filmmaking though. :/