`Help me, doctor, I`ve had that dream again,” Diana cries, and so begins the descent into one of the most complex plots of any recent film. ”Final Analysis,” directed by Phil Joanou, is a psychological thriller that entertained me but left me in a fix. How do you critique a movie with an excellent storyline and a true surprise ending but one marred by laughably bad performances?
The story centers on San Francisco psychiatrist Isaac Barr (Richard Gere) and his relationship with two beautiful but twisted sisters, Diana Baylor and Heather Evans (Uma Thurman and Kim Basinger). Diana is Dr. Barr`s patient and is seemingly very sick indeed. Heather is her older sister who comes onto the scene to shed some light on Diana`s condition and background. Barr finds himself drawn into a steamy affair with Heather (big surprise, Kim Basinger as a sexpot) and drawn into the murder of Heather`s husband (Eric Roberts in a deliciously evil role). What I loved about this movie were the constant plot twists and a real shocker of an ending. What spoiled my enjoyment were the predictable characters and the incessant overacting. In fact, I found myself paying more attention to Kim`s fabulous hair than I did to her portrayal of an ever-changing psychopath.
If you do go see this flick, try to overlook Basinger`s performance, try not to laugh at the casting of Gere as an intellectual and do ignore the stereotype of Greeks as sadistic gangsters. (STAR)(STAR)
