|
TREATMENT 24/7 Movie: "Doing Therapy" Independent Review Dan Skantar July 29, 2005 Pittsburgh filmmaker Joe Giacobello screened his movie, "Doing Therapy," to a packed house at the Loews Cinema in Homestead last night. The film, a romantic comedy set and filmed in Pittsburgh, stars Joe as Joe, a psychologist assigned to treat Diane, an anxiety-riddled Hollywood starlet, played by local actress Barbara Winters. In a most unconventional therapeutic twist, Diane moves cross-country into Joe's messy bachelor pad—presumably to avoid nebby paparazzi—for one month of round-the-clock treatment. Joe brings an Everyman's authenticity to his role—likeable, thoughtful, harried, haunted, and more than a little disheveled. Consider the premise: an average guy hosting a Tinseltown hottie for 30 days in an apartment littered with pizza boxes and cold French fries! Joe's no pushover for the pampered Diane, though. Alternating firmness and tenderness, he holds his ground against his demanding guest. Joe also showed his remarkable gift for physical comedy; one needs deftness and timing to take a skillet to the head without getting hurt. Start with a little Woody Allen (minus neuroses), add some Danny Kaye (for the flops) and a pinch of Kevin Spacey, and you have his character. Ms. Winters plays the well-put-together, girlie-girl Diane as a spoiled-but-vulnerable fussbudget. Initially Joe struggles to overcome her defensiveness. He eventually scales her emotional wall, but not before he and Diane swap deep, dark secrets. Soon, one wonders who is the therapist and who is the patient. As Joe digs to find the source of Diane's panic attacks, their relationship simmers with romantic tension and teeters along the line of professional ethics. Joe and Ms. Winters create believable characters; their shared chemistry makes this improbable match-up work. The cast features Pittsburgh actors and local extras. Ed Linder plays Diane's uncle who sets her on her unlikely road to recovery. Tom Interval is Joe's blustery boss. David Dietz adds a touch of menace to the plot. Much more than a formula romance, "Doing Therapy" offers a couple of surprises inside its mix of wit and warmth. The dinner scene is deliciously funny. "Doing Therapy" is an enjoyable 100-minute ride through the imagination of a clever storyteller. Speaking of rides, the flick sets a cinematic record for the slowest car trip ever across the Smithfield Bridge. If you get the chance, see this one; it will leave you smiling. Dan Skantar is a Pittsburgh-based freelance writer. |