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A Dangerous Method with Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley & Michael Fassbender: Disappointing

Posted on February 1, 2012 Written by ripitup

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 A Dangerous Method movie poster with Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley & Michael Fassbender

A Dangerous Method Plot

If you have seen the trailer, you’ve seen it all:

Freud (Viggo Mortensen) wants to work with Jung (Michael Fassbender), who is at the time treating a female patient (Keira Knightley). Jung is impressed by how smart and educated his patient is, and he encourages her to pursue her dreams about being a doctor. After she gets better, she enrolls in the university to become a psychiatrist. She and Jung seem to agree more on things than Jung and Freud do, as Freud is not happy with Jung’s fascination with things that aren’t %100 scientific. He is not also thrilled about Jung’s attitude towards his patients where he seems to want to be their life coach as well, and not just their doctor.

Things on Jung’s end get more more complicated as he starts sleeping with his ex-patient, and starts treating another psychiatrist. Among all the S&M and his new patient’s lack of morals and limits, Jung’s chosen path starts differ radically from Freud’s.

 A Dangerous Method Review

Well, this won’t be the last time the trailer of the movie is a lot more fun than the movie itself. I’d written a positive preview based on it, but the movie well…didn’t live up to my expectations. Let’s review this in the fashion of the one word association thing they do in the movie.

 

Movie – disappointing

Knigthley- annoying

Jung- mental

Story: dragging

Characters: unrelatable

Freud: saner

Relationships: seriously?

Gross (Cassel’s character): gross

 

Yes, I was expecting a somewhat controversial and a little kinky movie. But I was also expecting it to be fun, engaging and interesting. Instead, we get too much dialogue, a Jung that needed more therapy than his patients, a female patient whose diagnosis was only left to the audience to guess, a wife that’s anti-feminism personified. …

It is not to say I don’t have anything positive to say. I do. Keira Knightley’s performance was good, it was her character that was truly annoying. We got her issues, her problems the first three-four times they showed us, so there was no need to drag it.

Carl Jung was surely more than a man who slept around with his patients, took advice from a mental patient that also happened to be psychologist, saw his kids as hindrance to his career???

In a movie where Sigmund Freud is the only one who makes sense, the characters go around in circles with annoying manners and dragging scenes, great cinematography, costume design and acting don’t impress you much.

If you like Viggo Mortensen and Cronenberg, stick with A History of Violence.  A Dangerous Method has its moments, but not enough of them.

My favorite part of the movie (spoiler!!): When Sabina (Knightley) picks a side in the dispute.

Currently rated at 7 imdb. I am however once again impressed by Mortensen’s acting skills.

Also on Keira Knightley:

Last Night starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes & Guillaume Canet

London Boulevard starring Colin Farrell & Keira Knightley

Keira Knightley Trivia: Facts About the Oscar-Nominated Star of Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen

Also on Michael Fassbender:

Jane Eyre starring Mia Wasikowska & Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender Trivia

The Awesome X-Men: First Class with James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon & Rose Byrne

 

Also on Vincent Cassel:

Derailed starring Jennifer Aniston, Clive Owen & Vincent Cassel

Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan: The Movie Natalie Portman  Couldn’t Save

 

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: a dangerous method, a dangerous method movie, a dangerous method movie review, carl jung, david cronenberg, drama, Keira Knightley, michael fassbender, sigmund freud, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel

A Dangerous Method Preview: Starring Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley & Michael Fassbender

Posted on July 22, 2011 Written by ripitup

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A Dangerous Method starring Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley & Michael Fassbender
A Dangerous Method starring Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley & Michael Fassbender. Image via cinema.com

 

You’ve got to love David Cronenberg. Granted, not all of his movies might be up your alley- but there’re  bound to be some films Cronenberg’s you just couldn’t resist. I didn’t watch his earlier work like The Fly. And I didn’t really like much about Existenz. But Crash (starring James Spader) and Spider (starring Ralph Fiennes) are on my to-watch list, and I absolutely loved A History of Violence (starring Viggo Mortensen). And while Eastern Promises (also starring Mortensen) failed to be just as compelling and hard-hitting, it was not a mediocre experience. Now Cronenberg is back, with a really fun cast and a very tempting plot:

A Dangerous Method depicts the relationship between Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and how their great minds don’t always work alike-especially when one of them starts sleeping with a patient. It just looks too delicious to pass up- and we even have Vincent Cassel as a bonus.

Based on the book by John Kerr (A Most Dangerous Method) and the play by Christopher Hampton (The Talking Cure). Adapted by Christopher Hampton. Coming to the theaters in September.

 

 

The Trailer: 

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNFisoGclFI[/pro-player]

 

Also on Keira Knightley:

Last Night starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes & Guillaume Canet

London Boulevard starring Colin Farrell & Keira Knightley

Keira Knightley Trivia: Facts About the Oscar-Nominated Star of Pride and Prejudice

 

Also on Michael Fassbender:

Jane Eyre starring Mia Wasikowska & Michael Fassbender

The Awesome X-Men: First Class with James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon & Rose Byrne

 

Also on Vincent Cassel:

Derailed starring Jennifer Aniston, Clive Owen & Vincent Cassel

Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan: The Movie Natalie Portman  Couldn’t Save

 

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: a dangerous method, a dangerous method movie, a dangerous method trailer, carl jung, david cronenberg, drama thriller, Keira Knightley, michael fassbender, sigmund freud, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel

A Perfect Murder starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Viggo Mortensen and Michael Douglas

Posted on August 27, 2010 Written by ripitup

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A Perfect Murder starring Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow and Viggo Mortensen. image via sinepil.org
A Perfect Murder starring Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow and Viggo Mortensen. image via sinepil.org

Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow) is married to the older and successful businessman Steven (Michael Douglas). From the outside, they are the perfect couple. However, the reality is very different. Steven is having serious financial problems with his business and Emily is cheating on Steven with a guy who couldn’t have been more opposite: passionate, young and struggling- handsome artist David (Viggo Mortensen).

Emily doesn’t know that Steven knows. Steven knows all about the affair and David’s shady past (another thing Emily has no idea about) so he comes up with the perfect plan that will rid him off his financial troubles and a cheating wife: he meets David and asks him to kill Emily, in exchange for half a million dollars. David is trapped: if he goes to Emily or police about this, Steven will prove how David uses rich women to get their money. Convicted before, David will face serious jail time and probably they wouldn’t believe him anyway. So he agrees. Steven plans the night of the murder meticulously. However he might have underestimated David’s feelings for Emily or at least overestimated his capacity to commit murder: things go wrong, Emily survives. Who will the game? David or Steven? And can Emily survive again?

***

1998’s A Perfect Murder is a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder (1954). I haven’t seen the original so I can’t make comparisons. But despite the “flaws” of the characters (and I do realize that without the “flaws”, there wouldn’t be the same story), I enjoyed the film. The music, direction, setting and the acting are all decent and the casting is just perfect. From the smart homicide detective David Suchet that forms a bond with the graceful Emily, to the absolutely gorgeous Viggo Mortensen, the cold  smart Michael Douglas.. This is a pretty film. It is not the smartest or the best thriller around, but it is enjoyable enough.

***

As for the “flaws” of these characters, well I actually mean stupid actions. So I am listing them below. Mind the spoilers.

Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow)

  • Well, I have seen younger women marry older men for money, but this younger woman is actually richer than the man- or at least will be. The age gap is huge, and from her lover and way of life, Emily doesn’t seem like the girl to be attracted to Steven’s type. But let’s suppose Steven acted all sweet and seduced her in the beginning. Fine. You don’t love the guy, you are loaded, you don’t have kids and you are staying in the marriage because…??? Oh, and if you are about to inherit $100,000,000, you sign a pre-nup! It is a no-brainer. I am a romantic but you just need to be an idiot if you are not signing something when that much is involved, even though your man seems rich on his own.
  • Emily thought David didn’t know about the money. Great. It is one thing thinking he is in love; it is another thinking he wouldn’t have had a clue about who she is. She didn’t need to think he was in it for the money, but she should have considered he had a clue. So Emily was gullible and stupid way before she got attacked.
  • And so what David turned out to be a criminal? How does that justify her warming up to Steven, whose cold attitude drew her to David in the first place (I am not saying cheating is OK. But it is stupid to believe a guy who has been doing business illegally, is going bankrupt because of it, hid it from you and seems OK with your affair). No sane man will forgive Emily without at least one angry/emotional tantrum, and definitely not Steven.
  • What if Steven overpowered Emily in the last struggle and killed her? Yeah, confronting him like that usually only works in the typical Hollywood endings.

Steven (Michael Douglas)

  • So of all the contracted and professional killers Steven could have hired, he chose the boyfriend. Great but what about his feelings?  Whether it is open to discussion David was in love with Emily or not, you can’t trust your wife’s lover to kill her!
  • And again with Steven hiring David. Of course David doesn’t trust him and will try to screw  over if he gets a shot.  If anything, you cost the guy his lover and his chance to have much more money.
  • And since he is capable of murder, he should have come up with a plan where he murders Emily and gets away with it. No honor among con men, Steven!

David (Viggo Mortensen)

  • And he should have either went in to kill Emily himself, or at least played the tape for her and beg her forgiveness about the con. And Emily could forgive him, with him being honest and all.
  • Great job making a deal with a man who wants to kill his own wife for money. And great job trying to con a man without letting know he will be busted if he kills David anyway.

6/10 for the overall movie.

7/10 for actors.

Currently 6.4 on IMDB

  • Fun note: Viggo Mortensen is one talented man. He is also a jazz singer, poet, horseman and a painter. The paintings in David’s studio were done by him. Oh, and he also speaks multiple languages frequently:      Danish, Spanish and French. He is also pretty good with Swedish and Norwegian too.

Posts on Viggo Mortensen

Handsome Actors to Play Villains: Viggo Mortensen, Tom Cruise, Xavier Samuel, Kevin Bacon and Kevin Costner

ACTORS AND LITERATURE: Ethan Hawke, Hugh Laurie and Viggo Mortensen

Post on Gwyneth Paltrow

Shallow Hal starring Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow

Iron Man

Iron Man 2 starring Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johannson, Mickey Rourke and Don Cheadle

3 Happy Celebrity Couples: Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: A Perfect Murder, David Suchet, dial m for murder, dial m for murder remake, Gwyneth Paltrow, Michael Douglas, movies, thriller, Viggo Mortensen

Actors and Literature: Ethan Hawke, Hugh Laurie and Viggo Mortensen

Posted on February 23, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Don’t you like actors when they are multi-dimensional? It must be much more fun to be able to write a novel when they don’t have to pay the bills with its sales.  Sure, they would love to have many readers. What author doesn’t? But art is much more fun when you don’t have to worry about selling it. I did talk about actors making music before:

* Kevin Bacon  and Keanu Reeves

* Shane West

* Bruce Willis and John Travolta

* Hugh Laurie and Band from TV

Now, it is time for novels and poetry:

Ethan Hawke

Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke writes,directs and stars in movies. Plus, he writes novels. Gotta appreciate a multi-talented actor.

Well, we know Ethan Hawke is no stranger to writing scripts and we do love what he did with Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater, co-writing Before Sunset (The sequel to the amazing romantic film Before Sunrise). But he also writes  novels. His first novel is The Hottest State. He later directed this into a movie of the same name in 2006. He also wrote the script and has a small but an important role in the film. Not an amazing film, but pretty good in all standards and I do love a multi-tasking actor.

His second novel was released in 2002 and it is called “Ash Wednesday: A novel”

All Posts on Ethan Hawke

– Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage, Ethan Hawke and Jared Leto

–          Ethan Hawke trivia

–           Brooklyn’s Finest starring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle

–          Cheating Celebrity Trivia: 8 Male Celebrities That Cheated (feat. Ethan Hawke, Jude Law,

Kevin Costner and more)

–           Before Sunrise

–          Before Sunset

–          10 Celebrity Break-ups You May Not Have Seen Coming

–          10 Most Entertaining Sci-fi Movies: Favorite Sci-fi Movies of a Non-fan

–          Reality Bites starring Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder and Ben Stiller

–          Alias

Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie is just superb as Gregory House, speaking in such a great American accent that even fooled the producers. I love this guy. And he is a writer too!

In addition to being a terrific actor, both comedic and dramatic, he is an apt musician. But as if talent and the British charm isn’t enough, Hugh Laurie is a writer too. His first novel The Gun Seller was a critically acclaimed crime novel. Another one called The Paper Soldier is on the way. Don’t you just love Hugh?

All posts on Hugh Laurie and Gregory House

Absolute Hugh Laurie and House Trivia: 21 Facts About Hugh Laurie and His TV Series House

Use of Social Media in TV Series featuring Castle, The Mentalist, House, Cougar Town and NCIS Los Angeles

Television’s 3 Most Brilliant, Emotionally Broken Men: Patrick Jane, Gregory House and Jack Bauer

22 Tall Actors From Hollywood

The British Actors We Love Part 2: The Hughs

Hollywood Stars in Friends, Including Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and More

House starring Hugh Laurie

Actor Musicians and Musician Actors Part 4: Hugh Laurie, James Denton and Greg Grunberg a.k.a. The Band From TV

Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen
OK, you caught me. I am not the biggest fan of the Middle-earth and its creatures. But I have always loved a smart,strong fighter. I just can't believe they almost had another actor playing Aragorn.

I first saw Viggo in a hugely underrated TV movie called Vanishing Point. It is fast, fun and interesting. Then I watched A Perfect Murder with Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow, where he played Gwyneth’s lover. The movie was a good remake and he does make a good bohemian artist with some shady intentions. So by the time he was Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, I was already a fan. But when I dug deeper into his history, I realized the guy was even more interesting than I gave him credit for. I’ll get into the details later but let’s just say that he writes poetry and does own a publishing house. Damn, the guy is hardworking.

I love all three actors and I have to admit I haven’t gotten to read their works. Yet. But I’ll. I just hope I have half the luck and talent these guys have…

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Ethan Hawke, Hugh Laurie, Lord of the rings, Reality Bites, Viggo Mortensen

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