Characters on the Couch
Film & Television Blog
by Dr. Sandra Cohen
AMY
Finding The Real Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse tragically became the brunt of cruel jokes by comics the likes of Jay Leno. Every symptom of her psychological suffering was up for grabs: her bulimia, drug addiction, and her state of mind: “She’s like a mad person.” It’s not that simple. Amy, the sensitive, sad, and revealing documentary by Asif Kapadia, sets…
THE IRRATIONAL MAN
If I’d Been The Script Therapist
For Abe Lucas
Woody Allen’s new film, The Irrational Man, gives us a troubled philosophy professor, Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix), in an existential crisis. Although Abe is an expert in Existentialism, he can’t live its system of belief. He’d have to find meaning in his life and live it to its fullest, in spite of its limits (or…
CAMUS’S SISYPHUS
Versus WOODY ALLEN’S
IRRATIONAL MAN
Albert Camus, best known for his masterpiece novel The Stranger, wrote an entire book (believe it or not) on The Myth Of Sisyphus. Camus’s point is that Sisyphus is happy because he’s accepted his life. This is exactly what Woody Allen’s existential philosophy professor in The Irrational Man can’t find a way to do. He…
