Além da Terapia

I agree with the other posters. I directed the Australian premiere of this play back in 1983, and just LOVED it and all of Christopher Durang's works (I also directed 'Dentity Crisis). So when I saw that one of my favourite directors of all time, Robert Altman, was making the film version, AND it had people like Glenda Jackson, Julie Hagerty, Tom Conti etc in it, I was agog with anticipation. It was probably my biggest disappointment in the cinema.

What is it about Altman that he seems to make a real turkey about once or twice a decade, in between all the wonderful films he makes?

What I can't understand is how Christopher Durang allowed his name to be credited as screenplay writer, when it's a travesty of his play. Especially what was done to the two psychiatrist characters..

And why set such a New York story in Paris/

And why ... and why .... oh forget it.

Whoever thought of bringing Christopher Durang and Robert Altman together has never mixed oil with water. Never have two artists been more obviously mismatched. Altman creates dark little moody set pieces, and moves at his own leisurely (and idiosyncratic) pace; Durang's fast little funny script practically begs for a crackling speed-thru, and this movie goes on forever. Still, if you're not familiar with Durang or if you can watch this without any preconceived notions, there are some very funny moments, and Christopher Guest, as always, is priceless.

"Beyond Therapy", much like Brian De Palma's "Bonfire Of The Vanities" which I also watched recently, was a huge critical and commercial flop by a top-rank American director, a few years before their careers took an upward turn. And also like "Bonfire", it is not a film without interest. It is an extremely eccentric "romantic comedy": from the first frame to the last, there is not one "normal" character or scene in the movie. It does not succeed (the slow-motion shootout parody sequence misses badly), but it's certainly an original (I liked the occasional random sound effects of car crashes somewhere in the background), and Julie "Airplane" Hagerty still has her special brand of kooky charm. **1/2 out of 4.

What the Hell was that? I'm normally an Altman defender in all cases - I'm a fan of stuff like That Cold Day in the Park, Quintet and Pret-a-Porter - and I've never seen him as a hit-or-miss director who has directed half masterpieces and half flops, as his reputation tends to go. But this is truly a disaster! It's based on a stage play by Christopher Durang, who also adapted this screenplay with Altman. I just can't imagine anyone sitting in the audience watching this garbage thinking, "Oh, man, that would make a great movie!" unless the play was significantly different on stage. I kind of doubt it, though. It has such a peculiar energy, and it's not much like anything else Altman made. It feels like something pretentious people might have enjoyed on stage, more likely in the 60s than in the 80s, because it's just so odd. I'm usually a fan of odd, but this one almost made me violently angry at times. Jeff Goldblum stars as a bisexual man living with his boyfriend (Christopher Guest), but trying to branch out into women. He meets Julie Hagerty on a blind date, and they immediately hate each other. After therapy sessions and a second blind date (they both change their ads slightly but end up together again), they hit it off, much to Guest's chagrin. Every character in the movie is constantly going to their therapist (the two therapist characters are played by Glenda Jackson and Tom Conti). No one acts like a human being in this film, just weird simulacra making faces at each other. There's hardly a laugh in it, and the actors universally embarrass themselves. Better off completely forgotten.

Jeff Goldblum plays a charismatic bisexual man living with his insecure gay lover (Christopher Guest) while also pursuing a relationship with the neurotic Julie Hagerty. Guest resents having to share his boyfriend with a woman, and both Goldblum and Hagerty are under the dubious care of psychiatrists who spend more time indulging their own carnal affair than treating their patients. The film follows a few chaotic days in their lives.

I usually enjoy Robert Altman's films, but 'Beyond Therapy' is a trainwreck. There are glimpses of a worthwhile movie here, but the direction sabotages it at every turn. The sets feel stagey and artificial, Altman leans too heavily on roving camera shots outside of windows, the music frequently drowns out dialogue, and an overlong slow-motion sequence-meant to be comical, I think-comes off as idiotic.

The script is just as weak. The plot is barely there, riddled with logic gaps, and capped off with a finale that feels completely disconnected from the climax. The female characters are homophobic, the male characters are chauvinistic, and none of them are particularly likable - a real travesty, given the strong performances. As a gay man who lived through the '80s, I can't say I was shocked by the bad characterizations, but younger viewers might find them outright offensive. I haven't seen the play that this was adapted from, so I can't comment on what Altman did to Christopher Durang's material, but allegedly, he heavily revised it.

The only reason to watch 'Beyond Therapy' is for the cast. Goldblum is effortlessly charming, Hagerty plays her role to the hilt, and Guest adds some much-needed depth to a stereotypical character. If you're looking for an Altman film that treats LGBT themes with more dignity, seek out 'Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.' And if you just want an absurd sex farce, 'Pajama Tops' is just as dated-but at least it manages to be funny more often than not.