After a pretty crap bootleg briefly appeared on the web, the first proper trailer for David Cronenberg‘s “A Dangerous Method” has arrived and yes, it looks pretty damn good.
Based on Christopher Hampton‘s acclaimed 2002 play “The Talking Cure” and starring Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortensen, the film will center on the relationship between Carl Jung (Fassbender) and Russian-Jewish patient Sabina Spielrein (Knightley) that turns sexual, ultimately causing a rift between Jung and his mentor Sigmund Freud (Mortensen), but also catalyzes strong findings in regards to Jungian psychoanalysis. Fassbender and Mortensen look fantastic here, and really, they could be reading washing machine instructions and we’d still tune in. And the early word about Knightley’s strong performance seems to bear out — this is definitely the kind of role she’s never done before and she does look very good in the part. And through it all, there is a strong erotic current that is uniquely Cronenberg and when he goes into those waters, the results are usually great.
Still no release date, but Sony Pictures Classics will release the film later this year. Check out the trailer below. [Empire]
meh
Why does Knightley\’s Russian accent disappear at the :48 mark?
The trailer looks great. I can\’t wait to watch it. I also I cannot judge on individual performances and the movie without watching it first (unlike everyone who already started criticizing Keira Knightley). I really don\’t understand why her performance looks \”hilarious\” or \”laughable\”. Is it because she\’s trying out a role that is completely different from her prior movies? Last I heard people were criticizing her for acting in the same persistent roles so they should at least acknowledge her risk in this film. In my opinion, just watch the film first before you start critiquing her performance. Give her a chance. Apparently, society is more susceptible for giving chances and being more compassionate towards unattractive or average looking actresses who started out in dramatic roles rather than giving actresses like Keira Knightley who, let\’s be honest, is a lot better looking than most actresses, and who has been known for being the hot chick for movies like Pirates of the Caribbean. Maybe I should remind the obviously bias anti-fans that Keira Knightley was nominated for the Oscar for her roles in Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. Though she didn\’t win but the nominations proves that she can act. The question is whether she can find that niche that she can excel best in. Let\’s remind ourselves when Nicole Kidman was constantly criticized for her acting performances and yet delivered a knock-out performance for her Oscar win. So be patient and give this movie a chance.
keira knightley looks ridiculous in the trailer..What\’s up with that acting?
I don\’t think Keira is just overacting at all. She looks positively deranged and hysterical in the first little bits of the trailer. But then we also get her when she\’s disturbed but clearly more sane: \”It excited me.\”
Do people generally consider \’crazy\’ trailer performances as laughable? I guess i just fail to see what\’s so funny about her performance; it looks like she nails it.
I have faith that she\’ll really deliver.
Knighley is laughable, i hope it\’s just a bad trailer.
@Dawn .. emily still makes a valid point. A film which centers on the relationship between Jung and Freud rather than a romantic relationship between Jung and his patient sounds way more interesting.
I realize that\’s not the story Cronenberg is directing, but we can still question his decision of not directing a far more interesting story involving the same characters…
Anyway, too early to tell of course, this movie might end up being great despite the trailer.
@emily A Dangerous Method is based on the play, The Talking Cure. It\’s about their differences over the controversial methods used to treat Sabina and how that defers them for the future. In this movie Sabina is young and a patient of Jung, not yet educated.
I\’m sorry but why is this movie centred on a forbidden romance? Shouldn\’t it be about the relationship of mentor/mentee between Freud and Jung?
That alone would have been a fascinating watch. Why bring in this subplot? And from what I gather, this Sabina Spielrein was a psychoanalyst of her own (quite a good one too), but the movie portrays her as some vapid maniac. Also, the rupture between Jung and Freud is so much more complex than one ill-advised affair with a patient. And it just boggles my mind why they couldn\’t focus simply on the two of them, as in not make the romance a central point.
Maybe it\’s just this…overly artsy and lacklustre trailer, I don\’t know, it feels so artificial and so rehearsed, but I hope the actual movie tries harder than this.
This seems like a rather bad B movie to me. Cronenberg is wonderful — I loved a History of Violence but Keira is laughable. She doesn\’t seem distributed — just like she\’s overacting.
Knightley\’s character is being treated for hysteria. I would hope that she\’d play that over the top. As for darkness, it\’s based on a true story and it\’s more important that it look realistic. This is one of my must sees of the year.
Don\’t know about the other commenters, I thought it looked great. Perhaps a little Oscar-baity, but still great. And Knightley is playing a woman with serious emotional and sexual issues being treated by one of the first real psychiatrists–she\’s supposed to be over-the-top emotional.
Hmmmm
The director, the cast and the characters are all ingredients for what could be a fascinating story and a masterclass film.
That said though, the trailer played like a Brazillian soap from the 80s. Hopefully that\’s just the cheesy editing and cheesier music of the trailer but this was definitely not impressive.
For one, where\’s the darkness?
Whoa. Knightley\’s performance looks hilarious. Reign it in there girl.