Watch: Roman Polanski's Prada-Funded Short Film 'A Therapy' With Ben Kingsley & Helena Bonham Carter

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by Oliver Lyttelton
May 23, 2012 8:00 AM
2 Comments

Last year's "Carnage" might have been something of a disappointment, but it hasn't fazed Roman Polanski: the director's already gearing up for his next film "D," about the famous Dreyfus Affair in France in the 19th century, which will see the director reteam with his "The Ghost Writer" scribe Robert Harris. The plan is for the film to shoot at the end of the year, but Polanski's not been idle in the meantime: he's been in Cannes this week with a threefold purpose: the screening of the documentary "Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir" (read our review here), another screening, of his 1979 picture "Tess," and the unveiling of a new short film that he's directed.

The film, essentially a commercial for Prada, who funded it, is entitled "A Therapy," and is seemingly shot on a left-over set from "Carnage," with Polanski's "Death And The Maiden" and "Oliver Twist" star Ben Kingsley playing a therapist who becomes enamored of the Prada coat belonging to his self-absorbed patient (Helena Bonham Carter). The premiere was a few nights ago, but the film has now found its way online, courtesy of The Telegraph, and you can watch it below.

And, you know what? It's pretty great -- very funny, with a wonderful silent turn from Kingsley, and Bonham Carter pretty much the best we've seen her in a long time. And the score, by the omnipresent Alexandre Desplat, is pretty neat as well. It might be a glorified ad for designer clothing, but we still think we prefer this to anything Polanski's made since at least "The Pianist." Check the clip out for yourself below.

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More: Roman Polanski, Ben Kingsley, Helena Bonham Carter, Alexandre Desplat

2 Comments

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Francisco | May 25, 2012 6:35 PMReply

It's pretty great. Somehow it's a perfect fit to Polanski's recurrent themes, and I am slightly reminded of The Tenant.
Den | May 23, 2012 12:52 PMReply

I Love you, The Playlist!