Shrink

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!

Shrink stars Kevin Spacey as Henry Carter, a psychiatrist who's fortune and fame just doesn't seem to matter any more after the loss of his wife. Now is the time to cope, and that is something that he just cannot deal with. Instead he goes into a downward spiral of self pity, denial, and drug use.

Basically it is going to take a lot for Dr. Carter to see what he is doing to himself. What unfolds is a Crash-like web of interweaving stories that end up coming together in the end. There is the agent, his taken for granted secretary, the up and coming movie star, the aging movie star, the drug dealer, the distracted and misguided teenager, the young, talented, and undiscovered writer, and of course, the shrink. I might have even missed a character or two.

This film means well. It has some good characters and a good direction of where it is going. The only problem is that it has too much going on. Films like Pulp Fiction and Crash have a lot of characters and subplots going on, but the material is so rich and powerful that is can support big twists, connections, and revelations. This film just doesn't have enough "umph" to get off the ground.

Spacey does a pretty decent job at portraying Dr. Carter. He is mostly deadpan and emotionless, with the exception of a few revealing scenes. Other than that he doesn't show off too much of his skill, just fulfills the role of his character. I was pleased with Robin Williams performance as the aging actor trying to find himself during a late mid-life crisis.

What would have made this film better would be to limit the number of stories going on, following just a few, or maybe even one. I think Spacey's conflict is enough to carry a film. It also would have given him more freedom to explore his character. There is a lot going on under the surface that we only get to see for a little while. I wanted more. I wanted something like in American Beauty where we get to see everything that the character has to offer. It's like watching the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Each stage is so defined and clearly labeled. Here we just see a few rises and falls, and that's about it.

It's a pretty run of the mill indie dramedy with a few laughs here, a few tears there, and nothing really outstanding going on otherwise. I wouldn't say avoid it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it. You will not need therapy after viewing this, that's for sure.

Kevin Spacey plays Henry Carter,a very famous and successful shrink,practicing in Hollywood, with a very extensive celebrity clientèle.With 2 self help books published,Carter seems to have it all figured it out but these days he's the one who needs help. Unable to cop with his wife's suicide Carter has been self-medicating with marijuana falling into a depressive state. Jemma is a young girl who's mother committed suicide as well.She doesn't understand why and develops an angry behavior.The school sent her to carter for some therapy sections.Then we have several secondary characters, Kate Amberson, an actress past her prime,Jeremy, a young writer trying to come up with a good script,Patrick, a successful and ruthless Hollywood agent who suffers from paranoia and anxiety,Shamus,a young actor who wants to do meaningful films and be taken seriously,Daisy who is Patrick's assistant,Holden,one of Carter's patients who is an alcoholic and Keira, an actress who's sleeping her way trough Hollywood.Shrink is an amazing movie.All the story-lines are obviously intertwined but in a very subtle way (not like crash).The characters are very human and none of them is two-dimensional.They were all well written and their stories were well explored. Each one is memorable in their own way.Kevin Spacey is absolutely fantastic as Carter and so is Dallas Roberts as the eccentric Hollywood agent. The musical score couldn't be better, beautiful slow melodies that compliment the movie perfectly. Shrink is a subtle movie,it doesn't try to hard to grab your attention but it certainly does.I wonder why this movie hasn't been talked about a little more. Shrink is small in hype but big in quality.

8/10

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 movie will not satisfy your endless hunger for car chases, explosions and over-the-top joke-every-nine-seconds sitcom dialog. Shrink is a subtly funny drama of depth with real characters in real pain, each coping in their own way. The directing is perfect. This picture called for downplayed artistry...and that's exactly what Jonas Pate delivered. He knew well enough to keep this film grounded and let the characters breathe. And speaking of the characters; they were all beautifully written and performed. I really wasn't familiar with most of the cast...but I felt they all did their character's justice. Spacey wasn't the only one that brought his A-game to the set. Shrink is not a bundle of excitement. It's a beautiful, touching movie that will be enjoyed by any adult with a taste for quality drama.