Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Hernán Goldfrid, ‘Therapy Done Right,’ also known as ‘Lo dejamos acá,’ is an Argentine comedy-drama film that approaches the vast and ever-complicated world of psychotherapy from an entirely new angle. Psychologist Ulises Veron has come to practice an unconventional mode of therapy wherein he does everything in his power to make his patients’ mental health better, even if it means manipulating, lying, or exposing them to uncomfortable situations. One day, author Martin Bouchard approaches him as a patient, revealing a rather troublesome case of writer’s block. The solution that Ulises puts into use eventually leads to the creation of Martin’s most favored novel to date, ‘El Pragmatico,’ but this comes at a cost.
Martin Bouchard is a Fictional Novelist Dealing With Writer’s Block
Martin Bouchard is a fictional author created by Emanuel Diez as one of the two central characters of ‘Therapy Done Right.’ While he may not be based on any particular novelist, his concept does find an indirect basis in reality. Diego Peretti, who essays the role, expressed a familiarity with what Martin seems to be going through at the start of the film. While the actor is yet to wrestle with a paralyzing creative block, he understands the sense of uncertainty and described feeling it in rehearsals sometimes. His co-star, Ricardo Darín, who plays Ulises Veron, had an even stronger reaction to that feeling, and likened it to standing in front of an abyss. With both actors bringing in such strong perspectives to the narrative, it is hardly a surprise that Martin’s arc gains a universal quality.
While it’s likely that Diez and his creative team researched a lot about how novelists operate in their professional lives, that largely serves to make the story feel more realistic. The driving force behind the character instead lies in his psychology, which ties directly into the broader themes of the story about identity and self-love. In a conversation with PRODU, director Hernán Goldfrid credited the interplay between Ricardo Darín and Diego Peretti, explaining that their gestures, silences, and looks brought unexpected dimensions to the scripted scenes. Though Martin may be a wholly fictional character with no real-life antecedents, it’s these subtle details that make him feel so relatable.
El Pragmatico is Loosely Reminiscent of a Modernist Classic
The novel ‘El Pragmatico,’ or ‘The Pragmatist,’ deemed to be Martin Bouchard’s in-universe magnum opus, is also a creative construct by Emanuel Diez specifically for ‘Therapy Done Right.’ While the book has its fair share of twists and turns that get unfolded over the course of the movie, its origins pointedly cannot be traced back to any real-life novel. The reason for that is rather self-explanatory, as all of the story in the book is developed over the course of Martin’s therapy sessions, which in turn reframes the film as a frame narrative of sorts. While ‘El Pragmatico’ might not be an outright work of metafiction, it nonetheless teases the idea by invoking questions of authorship and narrative intent, especially in connection to Martin himself.
The structure of this novel, particularly the way both Martin and Ulises come to share it, might be a loose nod to James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses.’ While the opening three chapters of the novel begin with Stephen Dedalus — widely believed to be Joyce’s self-insert — as a protagonist, the rest of the novel largely follows the perspective of a different character, Leopold Bloom. Along with this comes an extended commentary on authorial voice and the nature of a narrative. Interestingly enough, the name of the novel overlaps with that of Ulises, who occupies a similar space in his own story. However, beyond that, there seem to be no connections tying ‘El Pragmatico’ to any real-life novel.
