Shrink

Featuring Kevin Spacey’s strongest performance in years, Shrink follows several characters over the course of a few particularly tumultuous days – with a particular emphasis placed on the impact a grieving psychiatrist’s (Spacey’s Henry Carter) downward spiral has on his various patients (including Keke Palmer’s anguished student, Saffron Burrows’ beleaguered superstar, and Dallas Roberts’ obsessive-compulsive agent). Director Jonas Pate has infused the proceedings with a relentlessly somber atmosphere that admittedly proves an effective complement to Thomas Moffett’s almost funereal screenplay, as it’s clear virtually from the get-go that the filmmakers are striving for a Magnolia-esque examination of several seriously unhappy characters. And while it goes without saying that the movie is rarely as compelling as Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 masterpiece, Shrink remains a cut above its contemporary multi-character brethren thanks primarily to the uniformly impressive performances and the inclusion of a few surprisingly poignant interludes. As is generally the case with movies of this ilk, however, there’s little doubt that some of these characters and subplots are inherently more engaging than others – with Palmer’s enthralling turn as the depressive Jemma standing in sharp contrast to the relatively uneventful nature of Mark Webber’s ongoing antics as struggling screenwriter Jeremy. The palpable emotional payoff for the various stories ensures that Shrink concludes on a heartfelt (if almost egregiously neat and tidy) note, and it’s subsequently clear that the film is ultimately less successful as a fully-realized drama than as a showcase for its myriad of talented actors.

*** out of ****