bluerider521

I think this film has to be placed in it's time. In the early 1960s, Freud was still champion of American Psychiatry, but he was beginning to get rocked by sharp left jabs. When was the right cross going to come to knock him down? Clearly soon. Thus, he was no longer seen as the visionary man of science who illuminated the human condition-which this film says explicitly it is about. You really couldn't make the standard Freudian biography anymore. A strength of this film is it did not actually do so despite its claims to the contrary. It tells a fantastical tale of a strange guy. Just right!

Freud's reputation has morphed into this current image: A gifted fiction writer who created weird "illnesses" which no one ever quite saw in read life. He described the patient's fantastic back stories (dwelling in their subconscious), and his magical treatments which always worked. A lot of "theory" (ever changing, unscientific and contradictory yadda yadda) was also tossed around over the years.

Cift staggers around as if his pacemaker had just gone off and given him an unexpected jolt. Huston said he was frequently drunk or stoned. He was perfect for the part: a dazed confused guy having fantasies. Exactly what this movie was about.

I have not read the book, but I have read that this adaptation was quite faithful to the book. The classic movie was not; it was made as a melodramatic murder mystery with Joan Crawford as a Grand Dame Mildred. Thus, the movie was great entertainment, but as a life lesson, as a cautionary life story, it was nonsense. This version was far superior as a story the average person could identify with. Great sets, clothing, cars, even minor period detail. I'm glad I saw it and I would recommend it to others, but...

It does really drag in places. I appreciate what I learned about opening a restaurant, but such detail only slowed down a story which was mainly about other things. While the camera lingers on Veda, and lingers, and lingers, little attention is given to explaining Mildred's developing financial problems. Emotional explosions may go on too long.

I'm glad that this miniseries was made. I wouldn't have wanted it made any differently, but quite a few people will find it tedious.

It is hard to find much intelligent comedy today. AH manages to be just that. The story is engrossing (if not quite gripping.) There was a stimulating sexual miasma throughout the proceedings. The characters are compelling and their motivations are understandable. The film is intrinsically enjoyable-it happened a long time ago, no one suffered horribly, there were many funny lines. The performances were superior. The film could drag on, but this was handled by bringing in Jennifer Lawrence (otherwise a superfluous character) to really liven thing up.

The ending was rushed after more than two hours of meandering story.

No, not great. But very, very good. It is superior entertainment.