[Setting: Freud’s study. Two movie reviewers, let’s call them Fella 1 and Fella 2, sit on a couch opposite Freud. The air is tense after their heated argument over their last review. Freud sits back, tapping his pen on a notepad.]
Freud: So, gentlemen, tell me—why are you here?
Fella 1: [gesturing wildly] He wrote that Freud’s Last Session was a masterpiece, and I disagreed! A movie can’t be high-minded if it doesn’t even mention “Theodicy.” That’s like writing a war film and forgetting the tanks!
Fella 2: [rolling his eyes] Oh, forgive me for appreciating the incredible performances and stunning set design! Hopkins is Freud. The scenery? Immersive. But no, it’s all about your “big words.”
Freud: Hmm. Interesting. And this disagreement led you to… shouting in public?
Fella 1: [grumbling] Yeah, and then someone called the manager.
Fella 2: [cutting in] Anyway, the movie isn’t perfect. The daughter’s character? Undercooked. The suicide pill? Overdone. But I didn’t pretend the whole thing was some intellectual black hole.
Freud: [leaning forward] Fascinating. Tell me, do either of you find it difficult to share differing opinions civilly?
Fella 1: [pointing at Fella 2] Him! He gets defensive and sarcastic whenever I bring up—
Fella 2: [interrupting] Okay, Freud, let’s be real. He wouldn’t know nuance if it hit him like you body-slamming C.S. Lewis down a staircase.
Freud: [eyes narrowing] Body-slam? What do you mean?
Fella 1: [grinning] Oh, nothing. We just imagined you cutting the philosophical debate and going full WWE. You’d hit Lewis with a folding chair, smash him into a bookcase, maybe throw in a flying elbow.
Freud: [staring] That… is ridiculous.
Fella 2: [smirking] But hear me out—after you take him down the staircase, we pitch that as the plot. You’d call it Freud’s Final Smackdown. We get Hopkins and Goode back. You’ll be unstoppable.
Freud: [rubbing his temples] Gentlemen, this is absurd. Yet—[pauses thoughtfully]—you believe this farce would attract an audience?
Fella 1: [leaning in] Think about it. People love intellectual drama and a good fight scene. You could resolve philosophical arguments and break furniture.
Freud: [sighs] No. This would be beneath me. Let us instead analyze your review. What did you like about the original film?
Fella 2: [sincerely] Hopkins and Goode were phenomenal—Hopkins especially. The expressiveness, the way he embodied Freud? Just stunning.
Fella 1: [nodding reluctantly] And the pre-war London setting was atmospheric. I liked the chamber-play vibe, too—felt intimate, like you were right there in the room.
Freud: [scribbling] Good. And what troubled you?
Fella 1: [hesitant] The daughter’s character. She felt underdeveloped. And honestly, some of the arguments lacked punch. They just kind of fizzled out.
Fella 2: [chiming in] Yeah, and Freud kept staring at that suicide pill, but it lost its meaning halfway through.
Freud: [looking up] So, a balance of admiration and critique. Yet you allowed your differences to escalate. Why not approach it like the film itself—civil discourse?
Fella 1: [grinning sheepishly] Maybe we could use some of that Freud-vs.-Lewis energy. Just… not the staircase stuff.
Freud: [nodding slowly] Perhaps you can take inspiration from my approach—dialogue, understanding, and introspection. But next time, leave the wrestling out of it.
Fella 2: [whispering to Fella 1] He’d be great in the ring, though.
Freud: [sighs] I heard that.
[The session ends with Freud shaking his head as the two reviewers leave, bickering amicably about their next review.]
8/10