Film Review: Final Analysis (1992)
It is always commendable when a film maker is willing to show respect to cinema history by quoting film classics in his work. However, this should be used with moderation, because inevitable comparisons with the old film will almost always make the new film look inferior. This happened with Final Analysis, 1992 psychological thriller directed by Phil Joanou, known as the homage to Hitchcock’s celebrated film Vertigo.
Protagonist, played by Richard Gere, is Dr. Isaac Barr, San Francisco psychiatrist who is holding therapy sessions for Diana Baylor (played by Uma Thurman), young woman who apparently suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. He sees her older sister Heather (played by Kim Basinger) in order to get information about family background. Instead, he is almost immediately attracted to Heather and begins torrid love affair. Ethical issues are complicated with Heather being married to Jimmy Evans (played by Eric Roberts), rich and shady real estate entrepreneur who also happens to be a violent and possessive man. The loveless and abusive marriage is further affected by Heather’s tendency for violent psychotic outbursts that happen after she consumes even the small amounts of alcohol. During one of those episodes Jimmy dies after being struck by Heather with dumbbell. Isaac helps Heather during murder trial by convincing jury that she was under temporary insanity caused by condition known as “pathological intoxication”. Heather is declared not guilty but she nevertheless has to spend some time in psychiatric hospital for observation. It is then when Isaac finds that the whole affair was part of clever manipulation and that Heather actually killed her husband in cold blood, motivated by hefty life insurance. Isaac will attempt to nevertheless bring her to some sort of justice, but Heather has her own ace in the sleeve in form of fabricated evidence that point towards Isaac as actual killer.
There are so many elements that Final Analysis shares with Vertigo - stylish opening titles, San Francisco setting, psychiatric conditions and past traumas as important part of the plot, main female star with the first name Kim and, last but not least, musical score by George Fenton that sounds very much like something Bernard Herrmann would have composed in late 1950s. Unfortunately, Richard Gere, who was one of the executive producers of the film, fails to carry the film as James Stewart did and he is simply not that convincing as experienced middle-aged psychiatrist. Even worse is his lack of chemistry with Kim Basinger (something that happened with their last pairing in No Mercy few years earlier). Even the obligatory steamy sex scene, which is supposed to make this film an “erotic thriller”, looks uninspiring despite Basinger showing her breasts. Much more interesting part of the cast is Uma Thurman whose exotic look make character of Diane enigmatic. This potential is, however, unfulfilled due to overcooked script by Wesley Strick which adds too much twists and turns to the plot, making the film slightly confusing and overlong. Joanou nevertheless does solid work as director by providing just the proper mix of suspense and action. Supporting cast is more adequate, even with Eric Roberts hamming it up as menacing husband or Keith David as hostile police detective. Paul Guilfoyle is good as protagonist’s lawyer friend and together with Robert Harper as protagonist’s emotionally insecure colleague, provides effective comic relief. In the end fans of old school Hitchockian thrillers shouldn’t complain too much about Final Analysis, at least if they are aware that Joanou wasn’t able to meet high standards set by Master of Suspense.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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