Un divan à New York (1996) - film review

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…

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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