Some of us who are fortunate to reach the grand age of 86 would already be enjoying a no doubt well earnt retirement, pottering around at the bottom of the garden, taking satisfying afternoon naps and moaning about kids today, but not so Sir Anthony Hopkins.

The legendary Welsh actor shows no signs of slowing down, starring as he does in his latest film as the founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud.

London, 1939, and Sigmund Freud (Hopkins) is in poor health, suffering from oral cancer.

He has found time however to invite a young theologian to his home, going by the name of C.S Lewis (Matthew Goode), with the aim of debating the existence of God with him.

Meanwhile, Freud’s daughter Anna (Liv Lisa Fries) is taking on some of her father’s academic duties, as well as being his sole carer, with both starting to take their toll on her.

Although the idea of these two very different thinkers meeting is a fascinating one, it’s sadly more likely a fictionalised account of a coming together for the pair. The film does state in its closing credits that Freud did meet with an Oxford don towards the end of his life, but there’s no way of proving who it was, but it’s seemingly enough for director Matt Brown to run with it.

It’s not long into their time together that you get the feeling that this may have come from a stage production, which it did, which itself was based on the book The Question of God by Armand Nicholi.

Much of the film takes place in Freud’s home with intellectual banter flying back and forth. In an attempt to break these static scenes up, Brown includes a subplot regarding Freud’s daughter, who wasn’t exactly having an easy time of it herself. Although you can appreciate Brown’s inclusion of these scenes, certainly as a way of making the feature more filmic if nothing else, it really is nothing more than a distraction from the main event itself which has to be Hopkins’ performance.

The veteran actor is in fine form, clearly relishing the opportunity of bringing Freud to life on screen. He does such an excellent job that, unfortunately for Brown, you would rather just see more of Hopkins doing what he does best, instead of flashbacks to both men’s youths, and his daughter’s mildly interesting story.

It’s certainly an interesting premise however, as far as What if... scenarios go, and the exchanges between Freud and Lewis are definitely engaging, but it could have done with just a bit more thought, especially with just having more of Hopkins to improve things vastly.