User Reviews

From the homonymous drama by Mark St. Germain, based on the essay "The Question of God" by Armand Nicholi, an interesting chamber cinema about a meeting that never took place between S. Freud and C.S. Lewis. The actors' performances are fascinating, not so much the screenplay which, although focused on a conceptual level; all dialogued and folded on the highest systems; often lacks a notable mastery of the subject matter. The dialectical duel on God, on life, History, interpersonal relationships and human nature, offers many ideas to reflect on but in general it is rather superficial or never truly in-depth. The work is supported above all by the interpretation of their actors (above all, Hopkins); and it becomes remarkable at least in the story of the biography of its protagonists, when the film passes from the intimate to the global, and vice versa; underlining how all the physical and metaphysical complexity is interconnected and not always explainable/understandable/justifiable. The director is aware of the ambition of his project, and perhaps too unsure of the paths to take to infuse the film with a more precise, solid, and effective structure that would make the story more powerful, more engaging, and more exciting. In conclusion, a film that partially works, whose final result could have been more brilliant; but which is still appreciated for its attempt to ambitiously mix cinema, theater, and writing; offering us a pleasant and interesting comparison (and mutual acceptance) of different but enlightened points of view on suffering, on Faith, on human existence, and on the drift of the contemporary world. A curiosity: the great Hopkins here played the character of Freud but, in the film “Shadowlands” (1994) by Richard Attenborough, he played C. S. Lewis. Rating: 6 / 7

Anthony Hopkins já fez um filme de diálogo em "Dois papas", mas enquanto o filme de temática religiosa tem um propósito claro na condução das falas, aqui Freud e C. S. Lewis estão completamente perdidos, como cegos em tiroteio, e com citações que beiram a transcrição de seus livros clássicos, mas deixando no ar um tom de ser muito forçada a situação. Ainda assim certos temas até instigam, mas certamente não será nesse filme que se promoverá um bom debate.

Near the end of his life in 1939, Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins) held one last session at his London home after fleeing the encroaching **** oppression in his native Vienna. At that time, just as the German blitzkrieg against Poland was beginning, Freud is said to have met with an Oxford scholar, believed to be author and theologian C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode), in a lengthy session in which the duo discussed a variety of subjects. In writer-director Matt Brown’s hypothetical meeting between them, viewers witness the two visionaries debate such topics as atheism vs. faith, science vs. religion/spirituality, the nature of fear, their respective backgrounds (including the personal demons that have haunted them) and their relationships with family members (particularly Freud’s arm’s-length connection with his lesbian daughter, Anna (Liv Lisa Fries)), among others. Their conversations are both mesmerizing and revelatory, uncovering aspects of each of them that most of us probably never knew. And, in the process, it becomes apparent that this session was as much for Freud’s benefit as it was for Lewis, given that the good doctor was in the late stages of oral cancer and contemplating how to make peace with his impending death. The dialogues between the two delve into some very heady material, the kind of discussions that movies rarely, if ever, deal with in such depth, especially as pointedly and insightfully as they’re depicted here. Their byplay is intercut with a series of flashbacks, providing the back story about how they each arrived at their respective points in their lives, leaving little doubt as to where they were coming from, as well as why they each harbored inherently conflicting viewpoints that led them both to continually question the nature of their lives, their existence and their place in the Universe. And making all of this work are the stellar performances of Hopkins and Goode, both of whom are in top form here. Admittedly, there are some hiccups in the flow of the narrative at times, but, given the richness and depth of their exchanges, these bumpy little glitches are easily overlooked in favor of the magnitude of what viewers receive in return. Those looking for “entertaining” fare are likely to be disappointed by this offering. But those seeking material that’s “enriching” and substantive will find “Freud’s Last Session” a thoughtful and engaging watch, one that’s certain to give pause about life’s bigger questions and how they apply to us, all in the hope of providing deeper meaning into why we’re here and what this thing called life is all about.

This Netflix original surprisingly came to my attention. It was only very recent was I aware of this film’s existence or such a high caliber actor, like Anthony Hopkins, was in the leading role. Freud’s Last Session centers on a discussion/argument between two notable figures in history. Sigmund Freud (played by Hopkins) and CS Lewis (played by actor Matthew Goode, notable roles such as The Crown and Watchmen). The topic of this creative discussion is whether or not God exists. Interesting concept no doubt, between the description and trailer I was intrigued to give this film a day in court. It can be difficult at times to separate between expectations from one trailer to what is presented. I envisioned two strong actors going head-to-head for two hours arguing the existence of God. While a bottle movie may not interest every audience member; however, if done correctly, it could work depending on the subject matter. Make no mistake, the debate takes place in this film and the performances from each actor was well done. The set design was also well done, or at least convincing, considering the debate takes place in Freud’s office. I would’ve liked to have seen more of the debate between both characters with valid arguments on each side. It can be distracting when the conversation gets interrupted with repeated flashbacks or putting additional focus on side characters. While the flashbacks attempt to build the backstory between each man, it takes away the flow of the conversation. Other events that happen in this film, such as the bombing of London, affect the characters in the story and add to the conversation. I appreciated this aspect in the film, and I would consider it appropriate. The The focus on the main side character, Freud’s daughter Anna, takes the viewer away from the debate. She is also seen in flashback scenes with Freud, which add to Freuds character; however, I wonder if it would be beneficial if Anna Freud had her own movie centered on her achievements. Nevertheless, this film presented too many flashbacks and cut-aways to side characters which made this film feel disorganized. Overall, I like the premise of this film, and the overall look of the film sets you in the late 1930s. However, the consistent flashbacks, and shifting focus to side characters, interrupts the flow of the movie too much to ignore. I would give this movie a 4/10.

(Mauro Lanari) Let's take an atheist and a theist and contrast them. For example, Jack Nicholson vs. Morgan Freeman in "The Bucket List" (Reiner 2007), Tommy Lee Jones vs. Samuel Jackson in "The Sunset Limited" (2011) based on the homònymous pièce written by Cormac McCarthy, Steve Coogan vs. Judi Dench in "Philomena" (Frears 2013), Anthony Hopkins vs. Matthew Goode, i.e. Freud vs. C.S. Lewis in this "Freud's Last Session", another film adaptation of the play of the same name by Mark St. Germain, a completely invented meeting, pure fantasy except Tolkien himself. Let's make them discuss with bar talk, uneducated spectators will consider it a serious debate while those with a minimum knowledge of the topic will wonder what happened to Epicurus' argument on the problem of evil and Occam's razor on the principle of immanence. And this is just to begin the "Mythos-Logos debatte" still in progress.

Existence of god. As in the movie, C.S. Lewis and Freud couldn't find a commonplace, and their argument didn't change the suffering in the world. So, the debates about its existence are pointless. Care about yourself, your relatives, and your ideas. Be the light yourself.