REVIEW: Shrink (2009)

Not exactly shooting for psychiatrist of the year, A-list shrink to the stars Dr. Henry Carter (Kevin Spacey) can often be found chain-smoking, curled into a fetal position, or nursing a bottle of booze. Witnessing his downward spiral, family and friends stage an unsuccessful intervention during which Carter reveals the truth behind his crippling depression. Numb to the world, he fills his days with sessions counseling the Hollywood elite, ranging from an aging actress (Saffron Burrows) to a neurotic and vindictive agent (Dallas Roberts) who could give Ari Gold a run for his money. Spurred on by his father, Carter reluctantly agrees to a pro bono case with patient Jemma (Keke Palmer), a withdrawn girl whose painful past may incidentally coincide with his own. Insightful, well-written, and witty, Shrink captivates with an uncharacteristically restrained performance by Spacey, a stand-out ensemble (including Jesse Plemons as a hilarious cannabis connoisseur), and a wasteland full of wayward Angelenos who gladly accept the smoke and the escape that both men offer. (Liesl Swanbeck)

Opens at Landmark Theatres on Friday, July 31st.