3/5 "Let The Healing Begin ~ Happiness Is A Word For A Feeling"
  by Brian E. Erland (CA - USA)
The 2008 film 'Shrink' is a dark comedy bent on attacking the multitude of facades, private and personal, that separate us from our innermost feelings, needs and desires. Considering the subject matter what better location is there to confront the unreality of life, why Los Angeles of course. And surely what profession among all possible professions would be best suited to serve as the ultimate hiding place for someone hiding from himself? Lets say it together, a psychiatrist of course. That leaves one final, essential element to complete the equation. Amongst all the great actors who have the ability to emote angst, loneliness and utter desolation who would you think is perfect for the role. You're right again, Kevin Spacey. Wasn't that easy?

Synopsis: Dr. Henry Carter (Spacey) appears to be a successful, self-realized shrink on the outside. He runs a thriving practice and has written a recent best selling book on how to be happy. However when he steps out of the public eye his true nature surfaces. The death of his wife still haunts him. Most people think she died by accident, but he knows it was suicide. He finds himself unable to come to terms with her actions and struggles with undefined guilt and depression. When away from work and book promotions he keeps to himself, spending his time drinking and smoking pot. He is anything but happy and fulfilled.

As you would expect, his private failures and professional success eventually collide and rise to the surface with disastrous results. As chaos abounds two new female patients come into his life, one a beautiful woman trapped in a bad marriage, the other a young girl dealing with her mothers suicide. Dr. Carter sees in these two a second chance for both them and himself. Helping them just might provide the antidote enabling him to reconnect with himself and the outside world.

Critique: This is Spacey doing what Spacey does best, no one can convey inner angst as well as he can. He's Mr. Existential of the 21st century. Unfortunately there's really nothing here that you haven't seen Spacey do before. The same can be said for the rest of the film as well. The production values and cast are solid, it's definitely a quality movie. However like Spacey there's nothing new forthcoming, you know exactly where the storyline is going long before you get there. Rent this one, but buy 'American Beauty'.

5/5 Spacey
  by Snippy101Mum (Brisbane, Australia)
As always Kevin Spacey never fails to deliver. Many layers to this movie, makes it an interesting journey for the viewer. Its not your typical movie where everything is spoon fed to you. You're able to think and feel a little for yourself. I see other reviewers 'caning' it, but I for one thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

3/5 thousands cheered--WHEN IT WAS OVER !!!
  by Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service)
Shrink suffers from a plot that isn't actually all that believable and the acting is mediocre or great depending on the individual actor. I found myself becoming increasingly bored with the movie and I was actually tempted to stop watching it--and that's rare for me when it comes to movies! The cinematography and the choreography, to be fair, as well done; and Kevin Spacey gives a great performance as a rather disturbed and drug addicted psychologist to the stars in Hollywood Dr. Henry Carter along with Keke Palmer as Jemma, a troubled teen with a similar problem to Carter's. Jack Huston also does a great job as Shamus, a big new name in Hollywood who's got a real problem with alcohol and drugs.

The movie is like an airplane that taxis down the runway as if it wee going to take off--you hear the jets turn up their power but then all of a sudden things slow down rapidly and the plane comes to a screeching halt. You can almost forget about the plot--it's not well done and it's very contrived although it has a few good moments. Worse yet, there are stereotypes in this movie that don't exactly help--an Irish alcoholic, a Hollywood agent with extreme anxiety, anger and a very bad case of obsessive compulsive disorder and more. Ouch!

However, if you do like this movie, you'll be hanging on to see what happens to Jemma, Dr. Carter, Shamus and the other characters including aspiring writer Jeremy (Mark Webber), Patrick (Dallas Roberts) the Hollywood agent and his assistant Daisy (Pell James). There's also "Jesus (Jesse Plemons)," the drug dealer from whom Henry Carter buys his marijuana. Robin Williams is also one of the better actors in this film; he plays one of Carter's patients extremely well and he is somewhat underutilized, unfortunately. There is a very brief appearance by Gore Vidal.

The DVD comes with extras. There are deleted scenes; interviews with producer Braxton Pope and director Jonas Pate; a Jackson Browne "Here" music video and the theatrical trailer in case you're interested to see that, too.

Overall, Shrink is little more than an average movie that you might want to skip. If you do decide to see it, however, walk, don't run; it won't be a lasting positive experience for you.

1/5 Fades Fast
  by Cary B. Barad (Baltimore, MD)
Opens with a reasonably appealing concept and impressive characterizations, but quickly degenerates into a mindless, boring and empty shell marked by agonizing boredom and meaninglessness. You could say that I didn't care very much for this unwatchable film.

2/5 "Failed Nobility" -- Earnest, But Clueless
  by Les Goe (Burbank, CA)
As the big studios make fewer and fewer legitimate dramas, it was heartwarming to see this indy drama take up big themes in a serious, even earnest, way. (As both a writer and a survivor of the suicide of my brother I was also personally interested in how the filmmakers would depict the emotional/psychological arc of grief-to-acceptance.) I applaud the filmmakers courage in dealing with suicide, grief, and the artistic process, but I just don't think the writer and director were up to the task which they set for themselves.You've heard of a "noble failure"? Well, I would call "Shrink" "failed nobility".

The structure of the film is a "Crash"-type ensemble of disparate characters making connections as the film progresses. This is a delicate and vulnerable style and I don't think the filmmakers hid the contrivances of plot very well. When one of the key plot points involves a lost script and who -- in all of Los Angeles -- finds it, the manipulations were bald and obvious. (Also, I wasn't counting, but there were 4 or 5 montage sequences which, again, felt painfully manipulative and artistically hollow.)

The characters inched very close to cliche many times (eg. the alcoholic Irish actor, the obsessive-compulsive agent, the sex-addict middle-aged actor, the -- and this is "serious" drama?), but the acting is excellent (particularly the agent and the young girl). However the depth of thought in dialogue and action that the film clearly thinks it is evoking just isn't there. (Just because you quote Kierkegaard and Mailer doesn't mean you know or, even more importantly, convey their wisdom in your art form. And did anyone tell poor Gore Vidal he was in a film that name-drops Mailer?) Also, the 3rd Act "Let's All Make A Movie" happy ending ("cinema ex machina" anyone?), in my opinion, simply wasn't earned by the film. It was as if somebody lifted the cloud and, suddenly, all the grieving and self-destructive behavior stopped and everyone was bequeathed happiness. This rarely works work even in fables, let alone in a psychologically realist drama where depicting the process of how hurt turns into healing is the magic of art.

Again, I was rooting for this film, but, in the end, it felt like it was conceived by very smart, talented, ambitious and well-educated adolescents unable to fully comprehend the existential demands of adulthood (or even the artist, for that matter). Maybe next time.