Final Analysis (1992)

Set in San Francisco, a psychiatrist (Richard Gere) becomes romantically involved with the sister (Kim Basinger) of one of his patients (Uma Thurman). When the sister kills her husband (Eric Roberts), the psychiatrist does everything in his power to get her off. Directed by Phil Joanou (STATE OF GRACE), this is a slick neo-noir heavily influenced by Hitchcock, in particular VERTIGO right down to the Herrmannesque score by George Fenton. While Wesley Strick's screenplay is laced with twists and turns and Joanou's direction propels the movie forward, it still comes across as overly contrived. Even as I was entertained by it, I was still cognizant of its flaws. The film's most egregious mistake is Gere's psychiatrist. He's a bit of a sleazebag and his actions in the movie are unforgivable yet he's the "hero" we're supposed to root for. Basinger's character is clearly unstable and one would think that a psychiatrist would recognize this and steer away rather than becoming involved. Still, I had a good time with it, flaws and all. With Keith David, Harris Yulin and Paul Guilfoyle.