Final Analysis
Reviews
John Chard
Pathological Intoxication and the Freudian Flower Arranging Theory. Final Analysis is directed by Phil Joanou and written by Robert Berger and Wesley Strick. It stars Richard Gere, Kim Basinger, Uma Thurman, Eric Roberts, Keith David, Paul Guilfoyle and Robert Harper. Music is by George Fenton and cinematography by Jordan Cronenweth. A psychiatrist becomes romantically involved with the sister of one of his patients... There comes a time in every film fan's life - those who commit to writing reviews, starting blogs etc - where you happen upon a film that you find oneself very much going against the general consensus grain, Final Analysis is one such film for myself. Not that it's a great under appreciated gem or anything like that, but revisiting some 25 plus years later I have found it to be far better than I found it back in the day. Alfred Hitchcock is my absolute number one favourite director of all time, but I'm never closed off as many often are to any sort of homage or thematically charged movie in lieu of the great man. In fact I'm encouraged that he still influences modern day directors this way. It also helps me that for fifteen years I have buried myself in all things film noir, which has given me opportunities to pick out fine noirish traits in otherwise reviled films of the neo-noir type. Case for the defence closed then!. Final Analysis is very Hitchcockian but lite, so much so it plays as "Vertigo's" illegitimate offspring. In fact it's even De Palma lite, who was one of the best exponents of Hitch type suspensers. It's a little clumsy at times and trips itself up, with director Joanou failing to build on the promise of his neo-noir of 1990 - the blistering "State of Grace". While stretching it out to a two hour run time by throwing twist after twist at it - when the writing isn't good enough to veer away from Hitchcock conventions, is a bad move. However, the core basis of a film noir world painted here is quite vivid, with two femme fatales, Freudian splinters and many trawls down a murky dark lane of mystery. The look is terrific (various Calif locations), this does after all feature the work of the cinematographer who photographed "Blade Runner". There a numerous gorgeous shots, light filtered through slats, up tilts into spiral golds, sublime primaries, while the court room sequences are magnificently akin to something that "Roger Deakins" would achieve further down the line. Cast performance wise it's not something to shout from the rooftops about, but nothing that hurts the pic. I'm a big fan of Gere, but here he's on auto-pilot, which is where Joanou should have earnt his corn. Basinger sexes it up and does good enough crafty, but it's a turn that doesn't come alive till late in the day, likewise Thurman in the sister role. David isn't in it enough and just seems to serve as a point of reference at various junctures, but faring much better are Roberts (super smarm charm with deadly heartbeats), and Guilfoyle as the lawyer balancing court determination with private yearnings. I couldn't recommend with utter confidence, but I would suggest that neo-noir/Hitchcock fans may find a revisit more beneficial when picking through the bones of it. 7/10
Movie Recommendation
No Mercy1986-12-19An unconventional undercover Chicago cop and his partner are recruited to commit the murder of a New Orleans criminal kingpin.More...
Mr. Jones1993-10-08The story about the relationship between a manic depressive man, Mr Jones, and the female doctor who takes more than a professional interest in his treatment.More...
Zulu Dawn1979-05-14In 1879, the British suffer a great loss at the Battle of Isandlwana due to incompetent leadership.More...
Robin Hood1991-05-13The Swashbuckling legend of Robin Hood unfolds in the 12th century when the mighty Normans ruled England with an iron fist.More...
People I Know2002-11-21A New York press agent must scramble when his major client becomes embroiled in a huge scandal.More...
The Marrying Man1991-04-05Charley Pearl, wealthy heir and gadabout, is slated to marry Adele, the daughter of a Hollywood tycoon. But, during a wild bachelor party in Las Vegas, Charley strikes up a flirtation with nightclub crooner Vicki Anderson that soon leads to her bedroom. When the couple are discovered by Vicki's beau, infamous gangster Bugsy Siegel, he makes a surprising pronouncement -- they'd better marry, or Charley is a dead man.More...
The Dacians1967-05-31The great King of Dacia, Decebal (Decebalus), is disposed to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to keep the integrity of his people. His own son, Cotyso, is given to the god Zamolxis to the dismay of the King and his daughter Meda. Septimius Severus, a young Roman devoted to his adopted country, must make the choice between his blood origins and the culture he was introduced to.More...
Legacy of Fear2006-11-27A police detective catches wind of a brutal serial killer - the same serial killer who is responsible for the deaths of her parents, 30 years earlier.More...
Holy Matrimony1994-04-08A young Hutterite boy must marry his late brother's wife who comes from outside the community.More...
Extremely Analytical2021-11-23Janet Roth bares all in a blistering stand-up special about marriage, Millennial dating and living in LA. And she won't spare you the details.More...
Women's Prison1955-02-01A crusading psychiatrist battles a sadistic female warden to improve conditions at a women's prison.More...
Pietro der Korsar1925-02-19There is no descriptionMore...
UFC on Fox 4: Shogun vs. Vera2012-08-04UFC on Fox 4: Shogun vs. Vera was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 4, 2012 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.More...
Henry & June1990-09-28While traveling in Paris, author Henry Miller and his wife, June, meet Anais Nin, and sexual sparks fly as Nin starts an affair with the openly bisexual June. When June is forced to return to the U.S., she gives Nin her blessing to sleep with her husband. Then, when June returns to France, an unexpected, and sometimes contentious, threesome forms.More...
The Secret Life of Words2005-12-15A solitary nurse bonds with a badly burned patient who survived an accident on an oil rig.More...
Destruction: Los Angeles2017-09-21A fatal explosion and sudden earthquake rock Los Angeles, and reporter John Benson seizes his chance to cover the breaking news of increasing seismic activity.More...
Pacific Heights1990-09-28A couple works hard to renovate their dream house and become landlords to pay for it. Unfortunately one of their tenants has plans of his own.More...
Things We Lost in the Fire2007-09-26A recent widow invites her husband's troubled best friend to live with her and her two children. As he gradually turns his life around, he helps the family cope and confront their loss.More...
Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles2021-09-03Fresh off the heels of her brand-new album, "Happier Than Ever," this cinematic concert experience features an intimate performance of every song in the album's sequential order – for the first and only time – from the stage of the legendary Hollywood Bowl.More...
Internal Affairs1990-01-12Keen young Raymold Avila joins the Internal Affairs Department of the Los Angeles police. He and partner Amy Wallace are soon looking closely at the activities of cop Dennis Peck whose financial holdings start to suggest something shady. Indeed Peck is involved in any number of dubious or downright criminal activities. He is also devious, a womaniser, and a clever manipulator, and he starts to turn his attention on Avila.More...
Similar Movies
Three Women
1924-08-18A frivolous middle aged socialite is suddenly put upon to have her daughter live with her. Her conniving paramour dumps her for the daughter, leaving the young boyfriend crushed.Julia
1999-01-01Giulia is an independent young woman who is prepared to offer her body and her spirit against all the religious taboos.Scarface
1932-04-09In 1920s Chicago, Italian immigrant and notorious thug, Antonio 'Tony' Camonte, aka Scarface, shoots his way to the top of the mobs while trying to protect his sister from the criminal life.Brother of Sleep
1995-09-08In the beginning of the 19th century, Johannes Elias Alder is born in a small village in the Austrian mountains. While growing up he is considered strange by the other villagers and discovers his love of music, especially rebuilding and playing the organ at the village church. After experiencing an "acoustic wonder", his eye color changes and he can hear even the most subtle sounds.Policewoman
2000-05-10Die Polizistin is a drama by Andreas Dresen about the life of a young police woman who is faced with the difficulties between her responsibilities at work and her personal responsibilities.Willenbrock
2005-03-17Second-hand car sales man Willenbrock has everything that he could ever wish for. He is married, has two lovers, a cottage in the German city Grünen, and a BMW. Yet one day while at his cottage he gets mugged and his life is drastically changed. Little by little the world he once felt safe in falls apart around him.Broken Blossoms or Th...
1919-05-13The love story of an abused English girl and a Chinese Buddhist in a time when London was a brutal and harsh place to live.The Toll
2021-08-05Brendan works solo shifts in the quietest toll booth in Wales, hiding from a criminal past where nobody would ever look. When he finally gets rumbled, word of his whereabouts gets out and his enemies head west for revenge. Meanwhile, local traffic cop Catrin’s investigation into a simple robbery finds her heading for the booth at exactly the wrong time.The Big Sleep
1946-08-23Private Investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy General Sternwood regarding a matter involving his youngest daughter Carmen. Before the complex case is over, Marlowe sees murder, blackmail, deception, and what might be love.Dead Man
1995-12-23William Blake, an accountant turned fugitive, is on the run. During his travels, he meets a Native American man called Nobody, who guides him on a journey to the spiritual world.The Murderers Are Amo...
1946-10-15After returning from a concentration camp, Susanne finds an ex-soldier living in her apartment. Together the two try to move past their experiences during WWII.Heat
1995-12-15Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.Mission: Impossible I...
2006-04-25Retired from active duty, and training recruits for the Impossible Mission Force, agent Ethan Hunt faces the toughest foe of his career: Owen Davian, an international broker of arms and information, who's as cunning as he is ruthless. Davian emerges to threaten Hunt and all that he holds dear – including the woman Hunt loves.The Maltese Falcon
1941-10-18A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.Irreversible
2002-05-22A woman’s lover and her ex-boyfriend take justice into their own hands after she becomes the victim of a rapist. Because some acts can’t be undone. Because man is an animal. Because the desire for vengeance is a natural impulse. Because most crimes remain unpunished.Dirty Harry
1971-12-23When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath.Sleuth
1972-12-10A man who loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.Double Indemnity
1944-07-06A seductive housewife draws an insurance salesman into a plot of adultery and crime to collect on her husband's life insurance.Mulholland Drive
2001-06-06Blonde Betty Elms has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia. Meanwhile, as the two set off to solve the second woman's identity, filmmaker Adam Kesher runs into ominous trouble while casting his latest project.Heavenly Creatures
1994-09-12Precocious teenager Juliet moves to New Zealand with her family and soon befriends the quiet, brooding Pauline through their shared love of fantasy and literature. This friendship gradually develops into an intense and obsessive bond.