#finalanalysis

Final Analysis starts off alright, sets up some interesting ideas, but then gets increasingly predictable, ludicrous and finally loses all credibility by the end.

This 2-hour movie has a complicated plot, but not one that’s hard to follow. Isaac Barr (Richard Gere) is a psychiatrist treating Diana (Uma Thruman). When her sister, Heather (Kim Basinger) comes in to help him, they begin having an affair. Unfortunately for Isaac, she’s married to a wealthy Greek gangster (Eric Roberts), she’s got a disorder called “pathological intoxication”, and everyone isn’t who they seem to be. The would-be romantic finds himself in a world of trouble.

This is a tricky movie to review. There are many twists and I don’t want to spoil them. Ultimately, I can only give the movie a 2/5 but will admit that for a while, it really had me going. The steamy affair between the two leads is certainly the kind of development that makes you happy to be a human with eyes, the plot's twistiness is enjoyable, and many aspects of it remind you of classic thrillers. A lot's going on and while it doesn’t all work, there are good moments throughout. My first issue is with the characters' intelligence, which depends strongly on whether or not the plot requires them to be smart. The second is with the running time. A lack of restraint transforms Final Analysis into a generic thriller at the end.

At first, you’re cheering for Dr. Isaac. He’s an expert in his field, handsome, and charismatic. He helps people and seems genuinely nice, not one of those slimy Arkham Asylum-type psychiatrists who throw the insanity plea all over the place. Then... he begins making stupid mistakes. I’m not skilled at spotting twists but this time, I saw every major development coming. He's dumber than you are so instead, your allegiance shifts. You want the villain to win. Unfortunately, the movie cheats. Just when you think there’s no way Isaac can get himself out of a jam because he’s been outsmarted by someone craftier and more patient than he is... they make a mistake that is totally out of character and the scale tips in Isaac’s favor once again. Then BAM! The movie hits you with yet another plot development, one that eats up another half hour of your time. That’s where the movie really starts to sink.

The ending is ridiculous. Not only is it telegraphed a mile away, but it keeps topping itself in increasingly idiotic ways. I can’t tell you what happens but can someone explain to me what the villains’ plan was? Did they expect no one to see what we see? Did they not think that maybe waiting just a couple of months, instead of blindly rushing into the world like a crazy person would be more sensible? Did they not realize that if you’re going to commit a crime and get away with it Scott-free, you have to tie up your loose ends? To top it off, the final twist makes absolutely no sense, whatsoever. If the film is implying what I think it’s implying, there's no way the character we see in the final shot could get away with what they’re thinking of doing... No one would buy it!

The biggest disappointment with Final Analysis is that it had such potential. It's erotic, twisty, the premise is engaging. Some of it's been done before but feels new here. Then the ending makes it all crumble. It’s like the screenwriter ran out of time and couldn’t decide which ending to use... so he used them all to be sure that the “good one” was there. The correct ending was about an hour and a half into the film. Anything after that is junk. I can see people enjoying Final Analysis, but it’s only a matter of time before you find a similar, better thriller to knock this one off of your “favorite film” list. (On VHS, December 21, 2014)

Final Analysis: Kiki Smith on Creative Struggle

International artist Kiki Smith talks about how letting go of ideas and visions can open up a new world of perception and art.

By Kaja Perina, published on July 01, 2008 - last reviewed on August 20, 2008

No internal organ or bodily fluid is beyond the pale for Kiki Smith, the internationally acclaimed artist perhaps best known for her depictions of female figures trailing viscera in their wake. Smith remains focused on the human and animal form. She spoke to PT about the artist's will—in conflict and in concert with the work he or she produces.

What was life like as a young artist?

[Life was about] being completely miserable and suffering, and seeing the deep necessity of making your own work, even in the face of it not making the slightest bit of difference to anyone else and having no choice but to throw massive quantities of it away.

Is the art world less radical than when you entered the scene?

All mediums are venues for radical expression. My iPhone has changed my life—I spend hours taking photos of the sidewalk as I walk down the street. I like the casualness, that it's low-resolution.

What's your advice for struggling artists?

Just do your work. And if the world needs your work it will come and get you. And if it doesn't, do your work anyway. You can have fantasiesabout having control over the world, but I know I can barely control my kitchen sink. That is the grace I'm given. Because when one can control things, one is limited to one's own vision.

Did you always want to make art?

As a child I prayed that my calling be revealed—but not with expectation and not with a destination. I became an artist because I didn't know what to do and I thought it was really fun to make things.

So your prayers were answered?

It's on a daily basis. I'm always taken care of by my work. You let go of your own idea and let the work go where it needs to go. And that's sometimes very uncomfortable. One learns to linger in discontent and not be judgmental, but to have faith.

What are you working on now?

I'm drawing man, that's a new animal for me. I got into animals by drawing hair follicles. I liked drawing hair, and from that I got into feathers and fur, then into images of animals. The patterning is the same, but the proportions of the body change from one animal to the next. A lot of it is just geometry and consciousness.

Do you consider yourself social?

Yeah. I'm endlessly fascinated by [other] artists. Because they are people who can hold their business together and be in freefall their whole lives too. Art forces you to submit to the world's reality rather than to your own fantasy of reality.

Is there a question you've never been asked that you wish you'd been asked?

I am happy to remain completely opaque.