Beyond Reason

My review was written in May 1985 after watching the movie on Media Home Entertainment video cassette.

"Beyond Reason" represents an unimpressive filmmaking debut by Telly Savalas as writer-director. Shot in 1977 under the title "Mati", the theatrically unreleased feature is reviewed for the record as a video cassette.

Savalas also toplines as Dr. Mati (pronounced mah-tee), an unconventional psychologist who is predictably going crazy (mucho hallucinations) under the pressure of his work. Picture at first resembles a telefilm pilot for a series, loaded with cute characters such as Mati's patients and friendly cabdriver, but detours into its main psychological fear mode with little success. Indecisive ending is unsatisfying.

It's hard to blame Savalas entirely for the film's failure, given that the pic was handed over to film doctor William Kowalchuk. Main evidence of production problems is exposed in early reels wherein originally announced co-star Priscilla Barnes (who had guested on Savalas' "Kojak" tv series before achieving fame in "Three's Company") appears silently, but with camera emphasis, in ensemble shots, while final female lead Laura Johnson is shown in unmatched insert closeups during these scenes in which she is missing from the master shots. Evidently Johnson succeeded Barnes in the role, and acquits herself well in later fully-integrated scenes. Supporting cast is fine, but cannot overcome a repetitious, ho-hum story.

Telly Savalas wrote, directed, and starred in this obscure late 70's thriller.

Savalas stars as Dr. Nicholas Mati, a disturbed psychologist tormented by the memory of a patient that committed suicide. Dr. Mati feels that he was responsible in some sort of way and that he could saved his life. Through flashbacks, we as the audience can get an opinion. I think that the patience was a really tormented soul that wanted suicide; Dr. Mati didn't have a chance to save him.

Anyways, the unfortunate event haunts Dr. Mati and now his life is turning into a nightmare. Besides having horrible hallucinations about it, Dr. Mati's personal life is going through some problems. His family notices that he's been acting weird and his coleagues also feel that has somehow changed. He even starts to feel attraction for a beautiful sexy blonde student from the class he imparts.

It's never assured but it's implied that he fell in love with her. There's a point in the movie that he enters her house at night acting really, really weird. What were his motives?

Anyways, "Beyond Reason" is a pretty bizarre drama that does not establishes a solid plot. Instead we get events that are not connected correctly and that's why the audience gets lost at some events. Not to mention that it's hard not to lose interest on it.

Savalas was brave enough in trying to create an original plot but I think that his direction skills weren't enough to make a solid drama. Still, his effort should be recognized.

The best thing of the movie has to be the super beautiful Leslie Valentine. I'm not sure which actress plays the role but whoever it is; she's incredibly beautiful and cute. She's worth the watch, believe me. 6/10. Watch it only if you are a fan of the great, great Telly Savalas.

Telly Savalas directed, and produced this film. Oh yeah, he starred in it too. It's a regular film about a psychiatrist that turns crazy after attending lots of cases. He's married, he has a daughter, but still he is after the bones of the beautiful Leslie Valentine. I don't know if the actress that plays Valentine is Priscila Barnes, or Laura Johnson, I don't know but in the movie she's hot! ...Give a try to this movie, ehh it's not bad just because Savalas stars on it, but I'm sure it's not for everyone, it's for people that like boring dramas, so bad that they are good and you cannot stop watching it. Did I mention that the actress who plays Leslie Valentine is beautiful, and delivers a great performance?.

BEYOND REASON is the kind of movie that makes you feel bad after watching it. I'm a Savalas fan, but I have to be objective and state that his debut in the directing chair was a failure. The story is bad overall, I guess that you haven't heard about something similar... That is because it's a terrible plot. Savalas is a mad, disturbed, and interdict psychologist.Dr. Mati is married and has a young daughter. He turned crazy when he couldn't save one of his patients from committing suicide. Since then, Dr. Mati has some night terrors, and flashbacks about the horrible incident. I won't get that much into the plot because it's useless, I mean it's stupid the way the movie is carried. Savalas stalks his beautiful student Leslie Valentine (played by a sensual, and young Priscila Barnes. I remember that situation to be very disturbing.

If you have the chance to watch BEYOND REASON do it, just if you are a Savalas fan.

2/10 -After watching it, immediately boot it to the trash can!