Three Christs

Such talented actors, somewhat wasted in a meandering story overly loaded with clichés and melodrama. There's a compelling story somewhere underneath all the quirkiness and over-dramatic options, but it never fully surfaces. It feels too staged, even like a play, and I never fully believed that I was seeing real people other than such talented actors. The performance is still worth watching, especially that of the Three Christs, they are all brilliant in their uncharacteristic roles.

The complexity of the source material should not be portrayed in the "uplifting" manor that this film presents. It's honestly disgusting. Treating human beings like rats should be depicted with more nuance and subtlety, not bloated theatrics.

"Three Christs" was a last minute choice of mine at the TIFF. As a big Dinklage's fan, and considering that it was a world premiere, it was easy enough to go check it out. I'm glad I did. This movie is one about the brain and its struggles, but it does so with a big heart. It's funny and touching with a good balance, and the acting is top notch (I'm actually a bigger Dinklage's fan after the movie). The underlying themes about psychiatry as science and its potential negative effect on personality, the nature of identity, the complex interaction of desire and fear are inhabiting the film and are as relevant today as they were at the time. In summary, a great entertaining movie with a deeper layer... and a stellar Dinklage!

This is an engrossing film with a very intriguing premise: if you treat 3 paranoid, schizophrenic patients each of whom thinks he is Jesus Christ isolating them from other mental patients in a state hospital, will one dominate the others or will they learn to bring joy, hope and companionship to their fellows? Dr. Alan Stone and his Psychology intern, thinks he can do the latter.

This story unfolds in the 60s when the accepted treatment for psychiatric patients is harsh and inhumane by today's standards. It consisted of either shock therapy, use of drugs or lobotomy. Dr. Stone would not have none of those because he believes these so-called clinical protocols simply "warehoused" the patients, not treated them. He believed rather in exploring their mind, understanding it by means of gentle interactions with the patients. The establishment thought this was crossing the boundary of "normal clinical protocols." But he asserts that without risks, there can be no breakthroughs.

Peter Dinklage stands out as patient Joseph Cassel. He inhabits the role and you deeply empathize with him and what happens to him. The same is true with Walton Goggins as Leon Gabor with all his pent-up libidinal urges and philosophical ruminations about identity. And we certainly relate with Richard Gere as Alan Stone whose persistence amidst resistance from his colleagues is commendable.

So, the question that the viewer asks is, did he succeed? There's only one way to find out.

This is reminiscent of cuckoo's nest but more dramatic and a bit less comedic. The cast, though, is what I loved about this movie. Excellent acting!!! It's a little slow at times, but be sure to watch this to the end!