Summary
Henry Harriston, a successful psychoanalyst living in New York decides he needs a break
from the constant chore of curing other people’s bruised psyches. He arranges an
apartment swap with a Parisian dancer, Béatrice, although he soon realises that
he has made a mistake. Whereas he is wealthy and impeccably tidy, Béatrice
is poor, untidy, and, it turns out, something of a heart-breaker. Back in New York,
Béatrice can hardly believe her good fortune and finds herself psychoanalysing
Henry’s patients. When Henry turns up at his apartment unexpectedly, Béatrice
mistakes him for a patient and starts to offer him treatment. Henry, realising he
is love with Béatrice, feels compelled to go along with the deception…
Review
Un divan à New York was something of a radical departure for acclaimed Belgian
filmmaker, Chantal Akerman, who is better known for her minimalist dark-edged dramas.
The film is an obvious attempt at an American-style comedy, evoking the mad-cap situations
of Woody Allen’s films, and was naturally ill-received by the critics on its initial
release.
If it is not taken too seriously, Un divan à New York can be an entertaining
film, with some hugely amusing comic situations. Juliette Binoche initially
comes across as very ill at ease in her role of a somewhat dim and naïve opportunist,
but as the film progresses you can’t help warming to her character.
It has to be said, this is most definitely not Chantal Akerman’s best work – some of the
English dialogue sounds awfully cheesy and unconvincing, and the actors are visibly struggling
to make the film work. Nevertheless, it is at least on a par with home-made American
romantic comedies and, ironically, it is the film’s obvious naiveté and structural
flaws which gives it the edge and makes it so fresh and diverting.
© James Travers 2002
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