Category: SLIFF 2011

THE GRAY SEASONS – SLIFF Review

THE GRAY SEASONS was originally reviewed during the St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase.

The title of Robert Herrera’s compelling new documentary THE GRAY SEASONS does not refer to overcast skies nor the tones of the exceptional black and and white photography. It’s main focus is Shimmy Gray-Miller, the young woman hired to overhaul the St. Louis University Lady Billikens basketball program starting starting in 2006. The title seasons are the four following that start, through 2010.Before she arrives the record of the team is dismal, so Coach Gray-Miller begins building from the ground up by recruiting star players from high schools all across the country.

The film focuses on this small group of young women as the coach,with her assistants, try to establish a new winning dynasty. With the opening of their new home facility, the Chafetz Arena, hopes are running high. Over the course of these four years staff and administration change as Gray-Miller tries to connect with her talented players. There’s lots of footage in the locker room as she spurs them on and later during the grueling early morning practice sessions. It’s jarring to see the nearly empty bleachers at the games-even the big tournaments.

It seems that the men continue to fill the stands and command media attention. Perhaps that will change soon because of dedicated players and coaches like the women profiled here. By the time the four seasons wind down few of the players from 2006 remain. As Coach Gray-Miller says, “This isn’t HOOSIERS.” Still, THE GRAY SEASONS is just as enlightening and inspiring.

Showtimes
Tuesday, November 15th at 6:30pm – Tivoli Theatre

JANE’S JOURNEY – SLIFF Review

Few people living today have my respect as highly as Jane Goodall. If you want an exemplary case of one person who has devoted her life selflessly to a cause greater than herself, she would rank highly on that list. For this reason alone, I was ecstatic to find out someone had made a film about her life.

JANE’S JOURNEY is a 2010 documentary written and directed by Lorenz Knauer, a film that chronicles Jane Goodall’s life from her roots as a little girl in the UK to her ongoing campaigns of present day. From a strictly biographical, informative perspective, this is a valuable and enjoyable film.

You may sense, however, the eminent presence of a “but” looming in the near future. If so, you would be correct. JANE’S JOURNEY offers a wonderful encyclopedic reference of the fascinating woman, tracing her many accomplishments and contributions. Even more fascinating is that Goodall did this all out of passion. She had no degree or specialized training when she first ventured to Africa in the early ‘60s as a very young woman. That alone took some bravery.

On the other hand, JANE’S JOURNEY feels a bit long and drawn out. Even at merely 111 minutes, the film feels as though its stretching the topic, when no stretching is truly needed. There are definitely areas of the film that could have been tightened up, and while the celebrity interviews theoretically offer added credibility to Goodall’s reputation, they really were not necessary, offering little more than fluff.

JANE’S JOURNEY is an exquisitely photographed film, capturing the beauty of the wild and foreign land she came to know as her home, as well as many moments of her with the chimpanzees she came to consider family. However, the structure and pacing of the film cause it to feel like a television special on the Biography or History Channels.

While Jane Goodall began her unique career in conservation focused on the endangered chimpanzees, JANE’S JOURNEY does venture into her work as a humanitarian as well. This only makes sense, when we consider that our lives and the lives of the species we endanger, as well as the environment we destroy – the same environment that wildlife calls home – are all clearly interconnected.

As a timeline of Jane Goodall’s life, the film succeeds triumphantly, but as a moving, emotional cinematic experience, JANE’S JOURNEY falls short. With such a captivating subject, and with all that’s happening in our world today, the film could potentially reach the hearts and minds of so many unemployed, underprivileged and unaware citizens, if only the film had a bit more heart and identity of its own.

Regardless, JANE’S JOURNEY is a wonderfully thoughtful documentation of one of the greatest women alive today and deserves to be seen by everyone possible. Her ideas and her concerns affect us all, whether we want to believe and accept it or not.

Showtimes
Monday, November 14th at 7:00pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE – SLIFF Review

One of the more rare genres of filmmaking is the cinema of absurdity, which can actually be defined in various ways. SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE (De repente, la pelicula) is an absurd comedy, written and directed by veteran Venezuelan filmmaker Luis Armando Roche. New to the genre, this is an experimental film for Roche, derived from a script written 25 years ago. This is a passion project by a filmmaker already well-established in his home country, a filmmaker who has already had films play international festivals such as his 1977 film THE MOVING PICTURE MAN, which played Cannes Film Festival.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is by many definitions not a traditional film. It’s clear that Roche intended to break all the rules, a tactic perfectly acceptable by filmmaker’s with as much experience under their belt. As they say, “you must learn the rules before you can break them.”

I am not going to beat around the bush and get all fluffy by saying the film is perfect. By definition, it cannot be a perfect film because nearly the entire film is improvised. Yes, the entire film, not just the acting. Roche began with a script as his foundation, then took the improvisational concept we’ve seen so many times from Christopher Guest and crew (such as WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, or BEST IN SHOW) and applies it in full effect to a film about the horrors of filmmaking.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE follows a young filmmaker named John Loveland, played by Carlos Antonio Leon, who begins production on a film in the Amazon jungle, but when things don’t work out, returns to shoot on location in Caracas, Venezuela. What quickly becomes abundantly clear, is that the film’s shady producer, played by Roche himself, has no interest in spending any more money than is minimally necessary.

Production quickly breaks down into chaos, and crew members begin dropping like flies. As everything begins to fall apart, Loveland chooses to embrace the chaos and frustration of disaster and instead makes what can be an anti-movie, a film where every flaw, every mistake and setback is utilized as a way of making some artistic statement. What ensues is a series of slapstick mishaps and absurdist antics, from piñata props and beer drinking parrots to an unexpected homage to Bollywood. In fact, most of SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is unexpected.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is definitely a meta-movie, a film within a film, dually conscious of itself. While some of the humor may get lost in the cultural translation, much of it remains in tact for the American audience, producing laughter and even a welcome sense of awe inspired by the amazement of what is seen on screen.

If given the opportunity to experience this film, the best advice I can offer is to remember, everything from the acting to the structure, the story and even the technology behind the production are all improvised. For that reason alone, SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE should attract many a film buff as this off-the-cuff style of filmmaking is a rare cinematic experience.

YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE – SLIFF Review

In the tradition of films such as NOWHERE BOY  and SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE  comes another film depicting the per-recognition, early days of a now world famous artist- YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE. The title truly gets the main thrust of the story. We meet poet Johann Goethe in the later part of the eighteenth century as the twenty-something law student botches his Ph.D. and fails to graduate. But he’s got a back-up plan! He puts pen to paper, dashes off a play, and ships it away. The rejection of this work prompts his stern father to send him off to a small hamlet where he will toil as a law clerk in the local court. After arriving, his desk mate Wilheim suggests they go dancing. It is at the dance hall where Johann meets the boisterous, beautiful Lotte Buff. The attraction is instant and after several false starts the  two finally begin a romance. Ah, but this road to love is full of many obstacles-stern bosses, desperate fathers, aborted duels, and many broken hearts. Fortunately these bumps in the road provide the inspiration for the poem that will enthrall the country.

The movie is a sumptuous visual feast. Whether riding in the countryside or trudging through the muddy village streets, the use of sets and scenery is superb. Alexander Fehling carries the film well on his shoulders and conveys the joy of experiencing his very first real love. And with the vibrant Miriam Stein as the ginger-haired Lotte, who can blame him? Her beauty almost explodes off the screen. The two gifted young actors wring every bit of emotion out of this story of star-crossed lovers. Director Philipp Stolzl gets great performances from everyone in the cast while he keeps several different sub-plots spinning. We even get an interesting view of celebrity adoration circa 1772! YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE is an enlightening, entertaining look at the begins of a literary superstar.

Showtimes
Monday,November 14, 7:15 PM – Plaza Frontenac
Thursday, November 17, 7:15 PM – Plaza Frontenac

SIMPLE SIMON – SLIFF Review

We first meet Simon curled up inside a garbage can… pardon me, a “space ship.” Simon, played by Bill Skarsgard, has Asperger’s. This means he thinks differently from those around him. Simon has an affection for circles, a fascination with space, and a terrible time dealing with change in his life. Simon lives with his brother Sam, played by Martin Wollstrom, the only person who knows how to talk with Simon so he understand. Unfortunately, when Sam’s girlfriend can no longer take the eccentricities of living with Simon, she leaves, causing Sam to slip into a depression. This is when the fun starts.

Written by Jonathan Sjoberg and directed by Andreas Ohman, SIMPLE SIMON is not a traditional romantic comedy. The film has a similar cute absurdity as Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s AMELIE. The story takes us into the mind of Simon as he struggles to find a solution to his brother’s depression, and in turn his own newly acquired and unwelcome chaos in his daily schedule.

There is a charm to the routine of SIMPLE SIMON, each day has its schedule and each schedule has its structure. Simon relies on the predictability of this organization to maintain peace, but when things do go awry, he retreats to his “space ship.” During his daily walk to his job, at precisely the same time, he repeatedly runs into Frida, played by Sofia Hamilton. Literally, having physically collided with Frida, it sparks an unlikely friendship between the two polar opposite personalities, a friendship Simon is not even aware of as he quests to fins Sam a new girlfriend.

Hamilton is an adorable mess, a free spirit who enjoys the uncertainty of life. The odds of her and Simon getting along so well are astronomical, but she has a way about her that allows Simon to understand her like he understands Sam. Equations begin to formulate in Simon’s head as he develops his master plan. SIMPLE SIMON is visually playful and colorful. Ohman composes a sort of energetic geometry, combining order and chaos to illustrate Simon’s world and the real world, integrated into one reality.

SIMPLE SIMON was Sweden’s 2010 Oscar entry for best foreign language film.

Showtimes
Sunday, November 13th at 3:30pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema
Tuesday, November 15th at 4:15pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema

PIG – SLIFF Review

“Pig” can be defined in many ways. A common farm animal, a person inclined to eat too much, a derogatory slang toward law enforcement, or a fitting short hand for a selfish, sexist man who hates every bone in a woman’s body. None of these truly fit within the confines of the film PIG, which can lead an audience astray. The title is most likely derived from the ramblings of the main character in reflection on his own past behavior, but this plays only a supplementary role in this complex science-fiction story of one man’s odyssey to regain his own mind.

Written and directed by Henry Barrial, PIG is as much a psychological thriller as it is science-fiction. This surely has its roots in Barrial’s education in psychology, which comes through in the script. Rudolph Martin plays the nameless main character, who wakes up in the middle of the desert with his hands bound behind his back and a black hood on his head. It’s not looking like a good day ahead. On the brink of death by dehydration, or worse, he passes out.

Flash forward a bit and our mystery man awakes in the home of a woman living alone in the desert. This woman found the man and has cared for him while unconscious. It is at this moment the man realizes he is suffering from a terrible case of amnesia, unaware of who he is or how he has come to be in this bizarre situation. What’s abundantly clear to the audience, however, is that some is not right and bad things are sure to come. The Man, whose only lead in a slip of scrap paper reading “Manny Elder,” begins an arduous struggle to regain some sense of self, to recover his memory, but leads him deeper into the rabbit hole (so to speak) than he ever imagined.

Rudolph Martin is not just convincing as the amnesiac man, but displays a range of tools in his acting utility belt that make the character that much more engaging. PIG can be classified as fitting the same general category science-fiction film as TOTAL RECALL or MINORITY REPORT, but without the action. On his journey, The Man encounters Manny Elder, played by Keith Diamond, a familiar face from several popular television series, and others who lead The Man to slowly piece the puzzle together.

PIG is a film that too easily can be spoiled, but what I can tell you is that nothing is what it seems, including The Man himself. PIG is not a traditionally structured film, presenting the story in a non-linear fashion that dissects time and shuffles the pieces into a complex puzzle, different but in a similar manner as Christopher Nolan’s MEMENTO. PIG not only stands up to multiple viewings, but actually demands a second viewing to capture the story in it’s entirety. I’m not suggesting its an impossibly complicated story to comprehend, but simply that PIG tells a story in such a fresh and entertaining fashion that you’ll want to see it a second time.

Showtimes
Sunday, November 13th at 1:30pm – Tivoli Theatre

BUBBA MOON FACE – SLIFF Review

Blake Eckard is what you’d call a “micro-budget” filmmaker. This means precisely how it sounds. Movies made on little to no budget, independent fare created by artists driven to have their visions come to fruition, regardless of any financial obstacles that would otherwise restrict such an endeavor. Eckard’s newest film is titled BUBBA MOON FACE, which he wrote and directed. With a title as odd as BUBBA MOON FACE, you may imagine the film being equally strange. On some level, this is certainly true, but its a subtle quirkiness that underlies the entire film, primarily a drama about a drifter named Horton (Tyler Messner) that returns to his rural roots for his mother’s funeral. While back home, his car breaks down and is forced to stay with his brother Stanton (Joe Hammerstone).

Horton is a reserved man, not an entirely happy man, and clearly removed from his past as a country boy given his reluctance and uneasiness around his kin. Certain interactions with his brother suggest he’s been gone for some time. As the story progresses, we’re introduced to Horton’s father Gus (Joe Hanrahan) who really brings out the David Lynch style strangeness of the story. Gus is a multiple divorcee, sexually romantic with a woman at least half his age and clearly heavy into recreational drugs, likely methamphetamine, given the rural setting and his peculiar nature. His presence creates more tension with Horton than is already present Stanton’s newly revealed situation.

Imagine taking BLUE VELVET and and turning it into a low-budget family drama, and you may begin to come close to describing the uniquely absurd and intriguing nature of BUBBA MOON FACE. When a drunken one-night stand named Sabetha (Sylvia Geiger) shows up on Stanton’s doorstep with a newborn baby, Horton finds himself stuck in the middle of a parental spat he wants nothing to do with. From here, the story deepens further into a tangled web of familiar connections and uncomfortable situations, including a casual love triangle between Horton, Stanton and a barmaid named Leslie (Misty Ballew).

BUBBA MOON FACE was shot in rural Northwest Missouri, evident in the many beautifully photographed establishing shots that are peppered throughout the film. On this level, the film feels close to home, as my roots reach into this same general area. While the literal actions and dialogue of the film are exaggerated, for humor and dramatic effect, the core of the relationships and circumstances are based in a foundation of real life. In a less than flattering light, there’s a clear element of what you’d expect to find on The Jerry Springer Show, but the truth is these things do happen. There are people who, for whatever reasons, seem strange and alien to people from other backgrounds, and the same is true in reverse. It seems to me that Eckard is trying to accentuate this.

Blake Eckard now has made four micro-budget feature films in the last decade. Take a moment, consider that statement and you should realize how impressive that is. Major Hollywood studio films with multi-million dollar budgets rarely are completed from script to release in under a year, but Eckard is trending one feature film every 2.5 years. Eckard’s films may not look like Hollywood fare, they may not be as polished as most viewers are accustomed to, but what I see is an independent filmmaker who knows what he’s doing, but chooses not to focus on the money of making movies. Likewise, I’ve certainly seen better written films, whereas Eckard’s dialogue is far from perfect, but the clumsiness (for lack of better words) adds an element of uncomfortable absurdity to this story that makes sense on a somewhat satirical level.

BUBBA MOON FACE screened at the Tivoli Theatre this morning (11/12/2011) as part of the 20th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival, followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Blake Eckard.

THE INTERRUPTERS – SLIFF Review

THE INTERRUPTERS was originally reviewed on September 9th, 2011.

Every day thousands of people across the nation grit their teeth in frustration while reading the daily papers and weekly news magazines. Many more clench their fists against their armchairs while watching local TV news broadcasts. It seems the country (or, state or home city) is going to “Hell in a hand basket!” But they’re not part of the government-what can they do? Film maker Steve James (HOOP DREAMS) and author/producer Alex Kottlowitz addresses this dilemma in the powerful new documentary THE INTERRRUPTERS. the individuals profiled here, armed only with their wits and a cell phone, may be the most heroic action stars that you’ll see in the cinemas this year.

THE INTERRUPTERS documents the effort of an organization called CeaseFire to stem the rising tide of the youth violence (particularly in the south side of Chicago). As the title suggests these people, men and women ranging in age from their early ’20s through their ’50s, step in during heated altercations and attempt to restore calm before fists (and rocks,bottles,knives, and guns) strike out. We first meet the group’s founder, epidemiologist Gary Slutkin, a man who traveled the globe battling disease and now wants to eradicate the disease of violence that is ravaging the community

One of the main Chicago co-ordinators, Tio Hardiman the creator of the “Violence Interrupters” program, meets the street team at a large table and helps map out trouble spots where they must concentrate their efforts. Like most of the Ceasefire members Hardiman’s youth involved gangs and crime. The film follows the team during a brutal year on those mean streets and focuses on three of these people trying to make a difference. While much of the work is with the African-American neighborhoods, the film spends some time with a former Latino gang member, Eddie Bocanegra ,who takes us to the spot where he took a life many years ago. He then conducts an art class with children at an inner city grade school that helps them deal with their fears. Later Eddie interacts with a family who lost their fifteen year old son to a stray bullet. We observe their daily gathering at his grave site and hear his younger sister tell of how he died in her arms.

The most charismatic and vocal of the trio is Ameena Mathews, daughter of legendary gang leader Jeff Fort, who is one of the first CeaseFire workers to step in (near the the start of the film she tries to diffuse a fight right outside their offices). She tells of her time as a party girl and how the party ended when she was shot. Her struggle to reach out to a troubled nineteen year old girl, is full of setbacks and small victories. The busiest of the group may be Cobe Williams, who seems to doing a variation of the old plate-spinning act. He attempts to reconcile a single mother and her two teenage sons who belong to rival gangs. Then he’s doing his best to cool off a street hustler known as “Flamo” (ironically enough) who seeks revenge on whoever called the police on his family home (Mom was put in handcuffs while his wheelchair-bound brother was taken to the station). Finally he picks up a young seventeen year old after serving two years for armed robbery. After a tearful reunion with his sisters and kid brother, Cobe takes him to the barber shop he and his gang had robbed in order to apologize to his victims. Soon they’re trying to score a job for him . Unfortunately, it seems that the CeaseFire team is always on the move with ver few breaks.

Like HOOP DREAMS James lets the participants guide the stories. There’s no flashy graphics, recreations,and animation in this portrait of a community in turmoil. James’s camera where there when the fatal beating of high schooler Derrion Albert made the national news after a grainy video of his murder hit the Internet. The CeaseFire team swoops in and stays with the family as the national media quickly moves on. There is some use of local TV news clips and newspaper headlines along with family photos and videos. The most haunting images maybe the piles of stuffed toys and makeshift posters and cards on street corners where a slaying has recently occurred. This film has more tension that the last five Hollywood thrillers combined. The team is determined not to use violence, but unfortunately they get caught in the crossfire. There’s no magic force field that protects them. In one scene Tio Hardiman is overcome with emotion when visiting an interrupter was was shot in the back while walking away from a street fight he thought had ended. With all this misery, THE INTERRUPTERS leaves you with a great belief in the good of humanity. Along with this horrific tales of carnage, there are stories of redemption, courage, and forgiveness. But they have little time to celebrate those little victories. The street is calling. But, maybe… someday.

Showtimes
Sunday, November 13th at 1:00pm – Wildey Theatre

CONFIDENCE MAN: THE HUGH DENEAL STORY – SLIFF Review

This film begins with a scene familiar to fans of  documentaries about music groups. Hugh DeNeal and his band mates are in a car cruising down the highway. No doubt on their way to their next gig. No, not this time. They’re on their way to Leavenworth Kansas so Hugh may turn himself in. This is one of many surprises in CONFIDENCE MAN : THE HUGH DENEAL STORY. As the title suggests Hugh is the main focus of the film. We follow him growing up in a small town in southern Illinois. He seemed to drift until his brother inspired him to pursue a music career. The brothers and some friends formed the Woodbox Gang with Hugh as lead vocalist and author of their most popular songs in the ” caustic acoustic” American genre. His lyrics were powerful and compelling. The Gang toured the country and attracted the attention of former Dead Kennedy band member Jello Biafra, who signed them to his Alternative Tentacles music label.  But the money was not coming in fast enough for Hugh.

Now with your typical “behind the music” type story this is where drugs would come in to break up the band. Not quite. DeNeal decided to try and make extra cash from an internet investment scheme that involved blank T-shirts which unraveled into a classic “Ponzi scheme.”  The film documents this downward spiral with lots of interviews with friends, law-enforcement officers, family and, most revealing, DeNeal himself. Inter-cut is plenty of entrancing footage of the band’s wild performances that sent audience into a frenzy (the great lyrics are printed out too). This is a film that’s a profile of gifted musicians and a cautionary tale of greed and corruption.

Showtimes
Saturday, November 12th at 8:00pm – Wildey Theatre

A DANGEROUS METHOD – SLIFF Review

Psychoanalysis is arguably still as polarizing in today’s society as it was a century ago when Sigmund Freud first conceived it. The very idea of all human neurosis being derived from a primal sexual foundation has controversy written all over it, which is what makes it such a fitting topic for David Cronenberg. Cronenberg’s career has spanned from RABID (1977) to A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005) and most vividly with VIDEODROME (1983) and NAKED LUNCH (1991) – all of these films have one thing in common; sexually charged, taboo subject matter.

A DANGEROUS METHOD tells the story of Carl Jung, a protégé of Freud’s, and his triangular relationship with him and patient Sabina Spielrein during the emergence of psychoanalysis. Jung and Sabina go through a sort of symbiotic metamorphosis. Cronenberg focuses on the shift in character that occurs in Jung, which occurs in conjunction with his treatment of Sabina. They’re relation begins as strictly doctor-patient but transgresses into a sexual enlightening experience for both parties, leading to events to affect the professional relationship of all three characters.

For Cronenberg, A DANGEROUS METHOD is impressively subdued. The film is far less visually graphic and the events are far more cerebral than visceral. Regardless, the thematic elements of sexual taboo, fear and perversion are still very much in play. The film is adapted from the book of the same name by John Kerr, which lends the film its historical relevance. This is most likely the primary reason for a more restrained approach, but the film still works remarkably well.

Michael Fassbender (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS) plays Carl Jung, a highly educated and passionate follower of Freud’s theories, the first to apply these concepts in treating a patient. That patient in Sabina Spielrein, played with remarkable intensity by Keira Knightley (NEVER LET ME GO). Freud is played by Viggo Mortensen (THE ROAD). Each character carries a specific level of emotional intensity throughout the film, allowing the dialogue-driven story to convey peaks and valleys to further engage the audience. Vincent Cassel (BLACK SWAN) plays Otto Gross, a small character with a significant purpose as a catalyst for Jung’s metamorphosis. Cassel also provides the sole source of crucial comic relief as the morally uninhibited and sexually obsessed doctor turned patient in Jung’s reluctant care.

Mortensen, playing a somewhat older character, is the calming element of the triangle. Freud rarely steps away from his levelheaded, perhaps stubbornly confident roots. Freud is very much a supporting character, a vessel through which Jung and Sabina channel their destructive yet therapeutic behavior. Fassbender strips away the confidence of Jung’s youthful ambition, breaking his psyche down into its conflicting parts from which he rebuilds himself. He shows the most range within his single character. But its Keira Knightley who outdoes herself in A DANGEROUS METHOD, showing an entirely new depth to her range, an extreme not similar to but far beyond her performance in DOMINO.

Easily the most exhilarating and profound moment in A DANGEROUS METHOD is during Jung’s initial session with Sabina. The film begins with Sabina being carried, kicking and screaming, into the hospital where Jung will attempt to treat her. In this long, boldly static scene the camera remains stationary. Cronenberg composes the frame carefully, creating a geometrically aggressive shot with Sabina in the foreground and Jung seated just off to the side and behind her, just slightly out of focus as he proceeds to dissect Sabina’s condition through a series of questions. Knightley’s performance is at first intimidating, even off-putting as she virtually assaults the viewer with her interpretation of Sabina’s physically manifesting psychosis. However, after a very short period of time, as I began to be drawn into the intricacies of her acting I began to realize the brilliance of the scene. Cronenberg set up the shot, and then allowed Knightley to carry the scene and she does with spellbinding conviction.

A DANGEROUS METHOD is a sexual film, without being blatantly graphic and direct with that sexuality. Cronenberg works so comfortably within this context that it never feels awkward or forbidden, but rather like the logical progression of such relatively fringe science to the time. Psychoanalysis is a science that feels much more like an art, a curious juxtaposition that really doesn’t occur in any other branch of the sciences. Cronenberg successfully presents a portrait of two maverick minds in a way that humanizes them, instead of placing them infallibly on pedestals. A DANGEROUS METHOD suggests the human animal is not greater than its primal instincts, but has the power to accept itself for what it is and in turn discover freedom from blindly imposed sexual morals.