Shrink

This film is about a psychiatrist who fell into a mess of drug addiction and emotional turmoil after his wife's death.

"Shrink" could have been interesting, as it chronicles the healer's life being wounded. Acting is good, sets are nice and production is good too. However, the pacing is simply too slow. I also find the characters not so engaging. I view their lives, their pains and their struggles, but I don't feel for them. I just don't care about them. This lack of engagement kills the movie for me.

The strong cast and strong acting (especially by Kevin Spacey) failed to translate into a piece of touching cinema. It's a great pity.

This is one of those oddball films that despite the fact that it boasts a fine cast,it somehow manages to slip between the cracks (at least in distribution terms). Shrink concerns a cadre of Los Angelas head cases,searching for some kind of better meaning in life. Kevin Spacey is Henry Carter,a successful psychologist,who has written a best selling self help book who's own life is crying out for meaning. His wife committed suicide the year before,and he seeks solace by medicating himself with Marijuana,and has all but given up on his own patients. Keke Palmer is Jemma,an angry high school student who is sent to Henry,but opts to hide out in the movies,day after day (she wants to be a film maker,herself). Mark Webber is Jeremy,Henry's friend,who is taking an interest in Jemma (but mostly as a friend). Add the likes of Saffron Burrows (Fay Grim,Time Codes,and not nearly seen enough in films as she deserves),is Kate,Henry's neighbor,and oddly enough,Robin Williams as Holdin,one of Henry's patients,and it all comes together in an uneven,but not unwatchable drama/comedy. Director Jonas Pate,moving up from producing and/or directing for television,makes the most of Thomas Moffett's script about screwed up Los Angelas arch types. Not rated by the MPAA,but contains pervasive pot smoking,raunchy language & adult situations.

From PASTO, COLOMBIA-Via: L. A. CA; CALI, COLOMBIA+ORLANDO, FL

Certainly, despite going uncredited here, Los Angeles is a silent partner in SHRINK, since it couldn't possibly have been set in any other place on earth, where "Dysfunctional" seems to be more the norm than the exception, when it comes to family, as well as to interpersonal and intra-personal, relationships! SHRINK can mean many different things to many different people in many different situations. That's an answer many Shrinks would be absolutely intrigued by; especially our conflicted anti-hero in this Kevin Spacey vehicle!

For IMDb Reviewers SHRINK is just about as close to perfect as it gets: Writers, especially the "Screen-" variety, of every stripe abound: Ex-, failed, latent, undiscovered, washed-up, wannabes and hacks; they're all here. Hey! Aren't WE all writers? Wouldn't most of us love a crack at writing a screenplay with major backing? Acting, as well as producing, also find their way into SHRINK. Of course, the 800 pound Gorilla in the room here is Kevin Spacey, in a tailor-made, tour de force role as the somewhat self-absorbed, teetering-on-the-brink, grief-stricken, performance-impaired, celebrity Author/Shrink. His rendering merits 9*. Yet what surprises me most about SHRINK is the quality of the ensemble performance, by a relatively unknown cast.

WOW! Director Jonas Pate, (His 3rd go in the Director's Chair, his first in 12 years!) certainly managed to get the very best out of his cast! Keke Palmer (AKEELAH and the BEE, remember?) has morphed from elementary school girl to high school student, and turns in a gifted, natural-as-can-be performance. Remember her name...We'll be hearing it a lot in coming years! Dallas Roberts is exquisite as the Uber-neurotic agent/production exec. His "I'm Afraid of Everything!" monologue is Oscar-worthy! There are others who deserve mention, but I want to leave some things to you! A few flaws, but willing to overlook them. .. 9*.... ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!

This movie has some very good elements going for it, but for me it never comes together in a nice crescendo. Kevin Spacey is very good in my opinion, with a more honest performance that isn't too much like his usual Spacey-ness (you know what I mean if you've seen him in other movies). The rest of the cast is fine too and there's a good bit going on in the movie.

The problem I had was that it seems like it takes forever for anything to happen (and it pretty much doesn't until the very end). There's SO much heavy dialogue followed by solemn stares by the characters that at first you don't mind it because you know it's an emotional film going in, but eventually you just get fed up and can't stop thinking when something, anything will take a dramatic turn.

Unfortunately it just didn't cut it for me. It's not a horrible film by any means, but not quite worth watching in my opinion. With some snappier dialogue or a tighter pace I probably would have really enjoyed it.

The plot is probably realistic, but as nothing catchy is happening most of the time, it becomes annoying soon; well, there are some twists, but they are not surprising or so - bearing in mind the past or present behavior of the characters and the things happened to them. The number of characters is very big and the level of their interlocking is difficult to monitor at times. The cast is strong, but Kevin Spacey's character (Dr. Henry Carter) is still most elaborated and visible on screen; however, it is not among the best roles Spacey has performed. Moreover, there are also good small supporting roles (Robin Williams as Jack Holden, Robert Loggia as Dr. Robert Carter, Henry's father).

I presume it is well accepted in the U.S. where seeing a shrink is almost a regular element of life and success. But the topic and the types were uninviting to me - although I tend to like Sundance movies.