Freud's Last Session

Original title:	Freud's Last Session
Director:	Matthew Brown
Release:	Cinema
Running time:	110 minutes
Release date:	22 december 2023
Rating:

On the eve of World War II, Sigmund Freud took refuge in London with his daughter Anna. Affected by age and illness, the world-famous psychoanalyst had become a bitter and capricious old man. But the professor's curiosity is piqued when a certain C.S. Lewis, a novelist and avowed Christian, mentions him in one of his publications. Their meeting to discuss the question of God turns into a duel...

Mulder's Review

Freud's Last Session attempts to combine intellectual depth with cinematic appeal, a daunting task given its theatrical origins and the philosophical weight of its main characters. Directed by Matthew Brown and co-written with Mark St. Germain, the film imagines a fictional encounter between two iconic figures of the 20th century: psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins) and author C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode). Set in London on the eve of World War II, the film hinges on the clash between reason and faith, but despite its ambitious premise, it ultimately struggles to maintain the intellectual vigor one might expect from such a fascinating encounter. While the film's premise is undeniably intriguing, the final product lacks the intensity necessary to leave a lasting impression.

From the outset, the film positions itself as a battle of wits between Sigmund Freud, a sick atheist, and C.S. Lewis, a Christian convert. The premise is undeniably fascinating: what would happen if two men with diametrically opposed ideologies sat down to discuss the deepest questions of existence? Yet despite its rich potential, the film's structure dilutes rather than intensifies the dramatic tension. Brown's decision to step outside the confines of Freud's office, incorporating flashbacks and subplots, results in a disjointed and at times confusing narrative. These digressions, while visually appealing, distract from the heart of the story: the intense and intimate dialogue between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. One can't help but feel that the decision to open up the play, a common pitfall in theatrical adaptations, sacrifices the sustained intellectual engagement that could have been the film's greatest strength. Despite these efforts to add narrative layers, the result is more scattered than profound, leaving viewers longing for the precision of the original play.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the film is undoubtedly Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Sigmund Freud. At 86, he brings remarkable vitality to the role, balancing Sigmund Freud's caustic skepticism with flashes of vulnerability. There is a raw honesty to his performance, particularly in the moments when Freud, suffering from mouth cancer, is confronted with his own mortality. Hopkins' mastery lies in his ability to convey the complexity of a man who is both fiercely intellectual and deeply human, and his scenes crackle with subtle but palpable tension. Opposite him, Matthew Goode plays a more reserved C.S. Lewis, whose quiet contemplation is often overshadowed by Freud's theatricality. While Matthew Goode delivers a competent performance, his C.S. Lewis lacks the fiery conviction one might expect from a man who found faith after a lifetime of doubt. This imbalance between the protagonists undermines the film's dynamic, which feels more like a lecture than a debate. Although both actors deliver solid performances, the chemistry between them remains somewhat lukewarm, failing to ignite the intellectual sparks that the script promises.

But where Freud's Last Session falls most short is in its attempt to integrate personal stories into the philosophical dialogue. The flashbacks to C.S. Lewis's wartime trauma and Sigmund Freud's difficult childhood are rich in imagery but lacking in emotion. These moments, while providing context, seem to distract from the central intellectual duel. Even more confusing is the subplot involving Sigmund Freud's daughter, Anna (Liv Lisa Fries), whose personal struggles with her sexuality and complex relationship with her father are only partially explored. These elements, while intriguing, are too fragmented to resonate, and their inclusion seems more like a narrative obligation than a deliberate enrichment of the story. The film seems to waver between a desire to expand the universe of its characters and a desire to remain faithful to the intimacy of its central debate, without fully convincing on either front.

Despite its structural problems, the film has moments of undeniable brilliance. One scene in particular, in which Sigmund Freud rails against the concept of divine plan in the face of human suffering, is both poignant and provocative. Hopkins imbues this moment with a biting irony that continues to resonate long after the scene is over. Similarly, the juxtaposition of philosophical debate and the external threat of war is a powerful metaphor for the conflict between belief and reason. However, these moments are fleeting, overshadowed by the film's tendency to stray into biographical digressions and subplots. It is in these moments of direct confrontation between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis that the film finds its voice, only to lose it again when it is sidetracked by less compelling narrative threads.

Visually, the film is a success. Ben Smithard's cinematography captures the dark beauty of Freud's office, with its cluttered desk and worn leather armchair, juxtaposed with the sprawling and unsettling London landscape. The art design is also meticulous, immersing the viewer in the tense atmosphere of pre-war England. However, this aesthetic achievement only partially compensates for the film's narrative shortcomings. Coby Brown's score subtly underscores the film's contemplative mood, adding depth to scenes that might otherwise feel static. The film's visual and sonic elegance, however, cannot mask the uneven pacing and occasional thematic vagueness that undermine its potential impact.

Ultimately, Freud's Last Session is a film with conflicting intentions. It wants to be both a philosophical treatise and a character study, but in trying to reconcile the two, it loses its focus. While Hopkins' performance alone is worth the price of admission, the film's reluctance to fully commit to its subject matter makes it uneven. Instead of the electrifying intellectual jousting one might expect, the audience is treated to a series of thoughtful but disappointing exchanges. Ultimately, the film's ambition to extend the intimacy of the play to a cinematic experience results in a diluted narrative that never really finds its footing. As a reflection on faith, reason, and mortality, it offers moments of insight but lacks the sustained intensity that could have made it truly memorable.

Freud's Last Session
Directed by Matthew Brown
Written by Mark St. Germain, Matthew Brown
Based on Freud's Last Session by Mark St. Germain
Produced by Alan Greisman, Rick Nicita, Meg Thomson, Hannah Leader, Tristan Orpen Lynch, Robert Stillman, Matthew Brown
Starring Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode, Liv Lisa Fries, Jodi Balfour, Jeremy Northam, Orla Brady
Director of photography: Ben Smithard
Editing: Paul Tothill
Music: Coby Brown
Production companies: Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, Last Session Productions, Subotica Productions, 14 Sunset
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics (certain territories), Vertigo Releasing[1] (United Kingdom and Ireland)
Release dates: October 27, 2023 (AFI), December 22, 2023 (United States), June 4, 2025 (France)
Running time: 110 minutes

Seen on May 3 2025 (VOD) (Prime Video)

Mulder's Mark:

Cookie's Review

A play, an office with an old-fashioned decor unfolds before our eyes, cluttered with statuettes, books, and a couch. We are somewhere in London on September 3, 1939, two days after Hitler's troops invaded Poland. We are in the apartment of Professor Freud, who is with his daughter Anna Freud and is expecting a visit from an Oxford academic, C.S. Lewis. Anna is very worried about this visit for her father, who is tired and frail with age.
The meeting between these two men with diametrically opposed backgrounds promises to be conflictual, or at least quite lively. Professor Freud is in a hurry and does not want to waste time with his visitor. He is elderly and ravaged by illness. Lewis, more composed, knows that he must be patient in order to engage in dialogue. This film allows us to follow this intimate conversation step by step, with Professor Freud leading the discussion with his usual arrogance.

Their debate revolves mainly around John Bunyan's novel The Pilgrim's Progress, which both have read. It is for this reason that C.S. Lewis visits Professor Freud to discuss the Christian faith. The book challenges the professor, a staunch atheist, unlike Lewis, a recent convert who is moving away from atheism. Freud, a fervent nonbeliever, is paradoxically obsessed with myths and cults, as evidenced by his home filled with statues of gods. Each man distills words that are sometimes hurtful but always hit home. Freud, who is ill, is sometimes forced to stop their conversation. Over time, these two very different beings learn to listen to and appreciate each other, aware that they hold a piece of the truth in their hands. Their encounter is, in a way, a long spiritual journey, the doubt of every human being. They evolve in mutual respect in this intellectual and esoteric exchange.

This conversation could seem long, monotonous, and austere, since most of the film takes place in the same room, in a given time, but director Matt Brown has sprinkled his staging with numerous flashbacks that allow us to escape from the office and better understand and follow the journey of the two characters. These flashbacks are well used and brighten up this dramatic film.

Anthony Hopkins, in his role as an aging Freud, captivates us with his pugnacity and his excessive verbal verve. It is easy to imagine him in the twilight of his life, still ready for battle. His guest, C.S. Lewis, accurately portrayed by Matthew Goode, is the opposite: more serene in his convictions, more patient, capable of capturing the professor's moments of emotion, but also intimidated by the psychoanalyst. The important female element in this feature film, Anna Freud, played with fervor by Liv Lisa Fries, is powerful in her sincerity, filial love for her father, devotion, and self-sacrifice.

Admittedly, this encounter between the two men, imagined by the director, is fortuitous but remains entirely plausible. We like to believe in it, to enter their mysterious world and see how far their quest for God or non-God will take them. The film's running time of 110 minutes is comfortable, with essential flashbacks allowing us to leave the present moment, travel into their past, and also take a break from the tension and intensity of the interview. It is a dramatic film full of emotion and strength that makes you want to delve into the writings of Freud and Lewis.

Seen on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 Club Marbeuf

Cookie's Mark: