Special Treatment — Film Review By Ray Bennett, September 16, 2010 04:57 ET “Special Treatment” Bottom Line: Tale of sex and psychiatry lacks energy and humor. TORONTO — Parisian sophistication is hard work in Jeanne Labrune’s ineffectual “Special Treatment,” which attempts to explore the similarities between prostitution and psychoanalysis. Isabelle Huppert plays a 40-ish uptown hooker who has become bored with her chosen career path and decides that seeing a psychiatrist will help her break free. The woman’s roundelay of johns and shrinks soon becomes tiresome, however, and with neither great insight nor any sign of wit, the film is not likely to capture interest outside France. Alice (Huppert) is a matter-of-fact practitioner who uses her own name to meet clients who arrive only by appointment following a recommendation from someone she knows. Her initial encounters with potential customers take place in the bars of swank hotels, where she arrives dressed plainly and without makeup. Alice seems almost bored as she runs down the activities she has on offer and the price list. Among the analysts she seeks out are Xavier (Bouli Lanners), who also is tired of his chosen profession to the point that his wife (Valerie Dreville), also a shrink, boots him out. When Xavier meets Alice, it’s a coin toss as to who is really wishing to employ whom. Huppert plays the role in a subdued manner that does not provide the spark that the situations require, though she’s up against it given the remarkably dull script. Venue: Toronto International Film Festival Sales: Films Boutique Production companies: Artemis Prods., Art-Light Prods., Liaison Cinematique, Samsa Film Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Bouli Lanners, Richard Debuisne, Sabila Moussadek, Valerie Dreville Director: Jeanne Labrune Screenwriters: Jeanne Labrune, Richard Debuisne Producer: Jani Thiltges Director of photography: Virginie Saint-Martin Production designer: Regine Constant Music: Andre Mergenthaler Editor: Anja Ludcke No rating, 95 minutes

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PARIS (AFP) – Ordinary calcium supplements taken by the elderly to strengthen bones may boost the risk of heart attacks, according to a study released Friday. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, suggest that the role of calcium in the treatment of osteoporosis should be reconsidered, the researchers said. Calcium tablets are commonly prescribed to boost skeletal health, but a recent clinical trial suggested they might increase the number of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems in healthy older women. To investigate further, an international team of researchers led by Ian Reid of the University of Auckland in New Zealand reviewed 11 separate clinical trials involving 12,000 patients. They found that calcium supplements were associated with about a 30 percent jump in heart attack risk. The chances of stroke and mortality also increased to a lesser extent. The link was consistent across trials and was independent of age, sex, and type of supplement. While the added risk is modest for any individual, the widespread use of calcium supplements could translate into a significantly larger disease burden across an entire population, the authors warn. Previous studies have found that upping calcium intake through changes in diet does not increase cardiovascular problems, suggesting that the risks are restricted to supplements. In a commentary, John Cleland of the University of Hull and colleagues point out that — regardless of possible impacts on heart attack rates — calcium supplements are probably not very efficient in reducing fractures in any case. Follow Yahoo! News on Twitter , become a fan on Facebook

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