The Savages
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Movie Reviews of The Savages
Movie Review: Two Oscar-worthy performances and a thoughtful script!
Summary: 5 Stars
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney give us a pair of performances right out of their standard playbooks...and the remarkable thing is that they both work so well. Hoffman's slobby demeanor, unshaven face, red eyes and a delivery so bored you can tell it just feels like his character can barely stand the idea of talking are nothing new...but they are still effective. Linney gives another over-energized, on-the-edge but super intelligent performance...again, nothing new...but still very welcome.
These two play siblings of the Savage family, who, while not exactly estranged, probably aren't spending much time with each other either. Hoffman is a Brecht scholar and professor in Buffalo, and Linney works as a temp in NYC, while waiting for a grant that will allow her to pursue her dreams of playwrighting. They are brought together when they have to bring their father (Philip Bosco) back to New York after his long-time girlfriend dies. Dad is suffering from early stages of dementia and has other ailments, so Hoffman persuades Linney that the only place for dad is a nursing home.
I fully expected this movie to be an indictment against our treatment of the elderly, or one of those family dramas where everyone yells at each other all the time. Instead, the siblings are mostly uncomfortable with each other. Each is in the end-stages of relationships and neither feels comfortable sharing much about their personal lives. They agree to live together for a little while, so they can trade off looking in on dad. The movie mostly explores their brittle relationship with each other. Dad clearly wasn't much in the parenting department, and no doubt his kids owe a lot of their failures and foibles to that fact...but Dad is now mostly a non-entity. He sometimes recognizes them, and sometimes he resists efforts to move him or change his clothes...but mostly he is lost and passive. He's hardly the man they both grew to dislike...he's mostly an obligation. To the credit of the brother and sister, they never argue over who will "take care of dad" or spout clichés like "you're getting off easy." They both understand that this burden has fallen to them, and while not happy about, they will handle it.
Hoffman is more practical. He finds Dad a nursing home near his house. It's got a plain exterior and feels like a hospital. They take medicare and can provide for dad. (In fact, I really enjoyed the fact that this home, while still somewhat depressing, actually cared for its patients, treated them with respect and didn't generate any enmity from the audience.) To Hoffman, the place is fine. Linney wants dad somewhere "nicer," preferably a place in Vermont. She is somewhat driven to find her dad a nicer spot...probably out of some misplaced guilt.
Not a lot happens in this film. Director and writer Tamara Jenkins is very blessed to have these two great actors, because they make all their interactions crackle with wit, sadness and believability. They love each other...but not in a way that gives them much joy. They are siblings who share little beyond an appreciation for theatre and a dieing father. Yet in many ways, the movie shows them jockeying for the approval of the other. Linney wants to be successful in her brother's eyes, because she thinks he looks down on her. Truth is, he doesn't look down on her all that much...but he's pretty down on himself too and that drags everyone under. Hoffman and Linney are a great cinematic team, and I'd love to see them work together on something again. They whole time I was watching them, I was imagining seeing them in a play together...that would be worth seeing.
Philip Bosco is also VERY good as the father. His expression alternates from confusion to anger to disappointment to sadness to emptiness to very mild happiness. He's not an easy guy to like...but he is by no means the clichés dementia victim so many movies dish out. In fact, Jenkins has made all three characters very specific and unique. While it's always a bit heavy-handed to see characters who are writers or "in theatre," even that works for this film, because these two have to live out pretend lives because their real lives hold so little joy. (It's a very nice touch that Hoffman is a Brecht scholar...Brecht was all about the head and not the heart. He didn't want his plays to have real emotion...Hoffman's character is somewhat afraid of real emotion too.)
This isn't an earth-shattering film. It has moments of great humor and also some sadness. Mostly, it just feels like a fairly believable slice-of-life. It's not an important film...but it has some great performances, and that makes it very worthwhile.
Movie Review: The Inevitable Indignities of Aging Masterfully Played Out Like an Intimately Orchestrated Sonata
Summary: 5 Stars
It's been nearly a decade since her first film, 1998's idiosyncratic Slums of Beverly Hills, but writer/director Tamara Jenkins' 2007 drama really hits the nail on the head this time with this trenchant look at the inevitable indignities of aging for not only a father slipping into dementia but his two emotionally stunted children, both hovering around forty and dealing with their own personal issues which are preventing them from moving forward with their lives. I saw the preview for this movie several months ago and expected a black comedy with a deadpan toward death and euthanasia. While there are some laughs, it is really the pervasive and empathetic sadness of the situation that draws you into a very human-size story of three flawed people.
The character-driven story begins in the famous Del Webb retirement community of Sun City, Arizona, where Lenny Savage has been living with his now-severely ailing girlfriend Doris for twenty years. When Doris passes away, Lenny's two children are contacted since he is being evicted and no longer able to live on his own. His son Jon is a professor of theater in Buffalo working on a book about German playwright Bertolt Brecht, while his daughter Wendy is ironically a struggling playwright applying for a multitude of grants while doing demeaning temp work in Manhattan. Although they are both smart with similar artistic aspirations and a common phobia when it comes to long-term commitments, the siblings have become estranged from each other as well as their father. They jointly decide to take Lenny back to Buffalo where Jon has reserved a room in a rather depressing (though typical) nursing home. Naturally, the full extent of their dysfunctional family unit comes to the fore now that they are all within close proximity of one another during a particularly unforgiving winter.
What Jenkins does exceptionally well is depict the small moments, both private and shared, as Jon, Wendy and Lenny each come to terms with the inevitable. The dialogue scenes have a realistic, unsentimental edge as long-dormant feelings of resentment percolate into both vitriol and humor. The three leads are note-perfect. As the more insular Jon, Philip Seymour Hoffman accurately captures the simmering states of denial and hostility of a man whose innate brilliance is deliberately camouflaged by his disheveled, disconnected life. Playing Wendy as a self-loathing variation on the emotionally uptight character she played in Kenneth Lonergan's brilliant You Can Count on Me, Laura Linney proves again what a master she is at sharply balancing a messy bundle of neuroses like a precarious house of cards. Despite their physical dissimilarity, Hoffman and Linney are completely convincing as tension-rattled siblings in a constant state of mutual misunderstanding.
In his brief scenes, Broadway veteran Philip Bosco manages to paint the fury and confusion in Lenny with forceful, affecting strokes. On the sidelines, Peter Friedman plays Wendy's married lover with just the right amount of smarmy neediness, while Gbenga Akinnagbe has a couple of nice scenes with Linney as a sympathetic caretaker. There is nice camerawork from W. Mott Hupfel III, who effectively makes the abrupt visual transition from the color of sunny, open-spaced Arizona to the grayness of Buffalo in winter, while the eclectic music selections on the soundtrack dramatically bridge the story well. Film trivialists may recall the opening song, "I Don't Want to Play in Your Yard", as the one Diane Keaton sings during one of the more idyllic scenes in Warren Beatty's Reds. This movie will not be everyone's cup of tea, but anyone with aging parents will undoubtedly be affected by it.
Movie Review: The Inevitable Indignities of Aging Masterfully Played Out Like an Intimately Orchestrated Sonata
Summary: 5 Stars
It's been nearly a decade since her first film, 1998's idiosyncratic Slums of Beverly Hills, but writer/director Tamara Jenkins' 2007 drama really hits the nail on the head this time with this trenchant look at the inevitable indignities of aging for not only a father slipping into dementia but his two emotionally stunted children, both hovering around forty and dealing with their own personal issues which are preventing them from moving forward with their lives. I saw the preview for this movie several months ago and expected a black comedy with a deadpan toward death and euthanasia. While there are some laughs, it is really the pervasive and empathetic sadness of the situation that draws you into a very human-size story of three flawed people.
The character-driven story begins in the famous Del Webb retirement community of Sun City, Arizona, where Lenny Savage has been living with his now-severely ailing girlfriend Doris for twenty years. When Doris passes away, Lenny's two children are contacted since he is being evicted and no longer able to live on his own. His son Jon is a professor of theater in Buffalo working on a book about German playwright Bertolt Brecht, while his daughter Wendy is ironically a struggling playwright applying for a multitude of grants while doing demeaning temp work in Manhattan. Although they are both smart with similar artistic aspirations and a common phobia when it comes to long-term commitments, the siblings have become estranged from each other as well as their father. They jointly decide to take Lenny back to Buffalo where Jon has reserved a room in a rather depressing (though typical) nursing home. Naturally, the full extent of their dysfunctional family unit comes to the fore now that they are all within close proximity of one another during a particularly unforgiving winter.
What Jenkins does exceptionally well is depict the small moments, both private and shared, as Jon, Wendy and Lenny each come to terms with the inevitable. The dialogue scenes have a realistic, unsentimental edge as long-dormant feelings of resentment percolate into both vitriol and humor. The three leads are note-perfect. As the more insular Jon, Philip Seymour Hoffman accurately captures the simmering states of denial and hostility of a man whose innate brilliance is deliberately camouflaged by his disheveled, disconnected life. Playing Wendy as a self-loathing variation on the emotionally uptight character she played in Kenneth Lonergan's brilliant You Can Count on Me, Laura Linney proves again what a master she is at sharply balancing a messy bundle of neuroses like a precarious house of cards. Despite their physical dissimilarity, Hoffman and Linney are completely convincing as tension-rattled siblings in a constant state of mutual misunderstanding.
In his brief scenes, Broadway veteran Philip Bosco manages to paint the fury and confusion in Lenny with forceful, affecting strokes. On the sidelines, Peter Friedman plays Wendy's married lover with just the right amount of smarmy neediness, while Gbenga Akinnagbe has a couple of nice scenes with Linney as a sympathetic caretaker. There is nice camerawork from W. Mott Hupfel III, who effectively makes the abrupt visual transition from the color of sunny, open-spaced Arizona to the grayness of Buffalo in winter, while the eclectic music selections on the soundtrack dramatically bridge the story well. Film trivialists may recall the opening song, "I Don't Want to Play in Your Yard", as the one Diane Keaton sings during one of the more idyllic scenes in Warren Beatty's Reds. This movie will not be everyone's cup of tea, but anyone with aging parents will undoubtedly be affected by it.
Movie Review: Every aspect of this film fits like a glove...
Summary: 5 Stars
Let's talk for a minute about the perfect actors for the perfect script. As I watched `The Savages' last night I couldn't help but think that these actors couldn't be better suited for this film. Both Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman have this incredibly natural dry wit about them that plays so well with the tightly woven dramedy Tamara Jenkins penned. Every line felt real and connects with the audience as it connects with the actors. There is nothing fake about this movie, for the actors understand their characters.
But this film is so much more than just a mere actor's showcase. No, `The Savages' moved me more than many other films this past year. In all honesty it is truly one of the best films I've seen to tackle the parent/child/sibling relationships in quite some time.
Wendy and Jon Savage are a unique brand of adult, thanks in large part to their unnatural (or all too natural) upbringing. Their father was abusive and their mother right out abandoned them and so they find themselves middle-aged and dysfunctional. Jon is a college professor who can't seem to get his personal as well as his secular life in order, and Wendy is an aspiring playwright who filters through temp services and steals from the government as a way to make ends meat. When their father Lenny finds himself homeless, Wendy and Jon are then forced to find him ample living arrangements. This in turn forces Wendy and Jon to both come face to face with their own deficiencies that resulted from the man they are now attempting to care for. They are guilty, they are bitter, they are defensive, they are confused; and through it all they become stronger people.
The performances by the three leads truly elevate this film, because without their believable conviction the weight of the film could have easily been lost. Laura Linney delivers what may very well be her finest performance to date. As Wendy she is beautifully uncontrolled. She is immature and selfish and manipulative but in an innocent and sympathetic way. She creates a character that we can condone despite her unlikable traits. As Jon, Hoffman embodies this repressed and lonely man beautifully, giving the audience a glimpse into his soul. It is true that Linney carries this film (Hoffman's performance in `Before the Devil Knows You're Dead' is superior to his performance here) but Hoffman plays off of her brilliantly, and delivers some humanity to his comedy. Philip Bosco does a fine job never falling into obscurity. He never lets you forget that this film is essentially about him and his impact on his children. There is a scene in particular where Lenny sits in the car listening to Wendy and Jon argue about him and you can see in his eyes the guilt, as if he's asking himself "did I do this?". And then, in another scene where he turns his hearing aid down in order to kill his children's bickering you can see his misery, as if he finally understands what he put his children through now that the tables have turned.
That is really the heart of this story; for it is a story about children and parents reversing roles. This idea is conveyed beautifully as the two children struggle with their treatment of a man who never cared enough about them to try. They want to be better children than he was a parent, but bitterness and guilt can manipulate your judgment.
In the end, `The Savages' is a remarkable character study that I think is important for everyone to see, parents and children and siblings, for it gives us all something to contemplate as regards to our dealings with one another. Laura Linney's surprise Oscar nomination is no longer a surprise now that I have seen her remarkable work here. I've always been a fan of her ability to relay humanity within her performances, soaking up every ounce of her naturalness within the film, and this is probably Linney at her most natural.
Movie Review: flawless performances in a timeless motion picture
Summary: 5 Stars
The Savages tells the story of the emotional strife siblings face when their long absent father begins to suffer so much from dementia that he can no longer care for himself. This plot will resonate with just about anyone who has taken care of an elderly relative; and of course professional caregivers may well be able identify with the adult children in this movie, too. The cinematography is very well done and the choreography lacks nothing; but the film progresses at a rate that is much too slow and they could have edited about ten to fifteen minutes out of the picture to make it tighter. On the other hand, however, the acting is consistently wonderful and very convincing.
When the action starts, we are quickly introduced to elderly Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco) who is suffering from the beginning stages of dementia. Lenny lives with his girlfriend of twenty years in Sun City, Arizona; and he doesn't have any contact with his two adult children. It's also explained to us that Lenny wasn't exactly a nurturing father, either. Eduardo (David Zayas), the home health care attendant for Lenny's girlfriend, finds Lenny playing with something that should have been flushed down the toilet. After that, it's only a short time before Lenny's adult children Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) and Jon Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman) are called in--and they're called in all the faster when Lenny's girlfriend dies and her relatives insist that Lenny move out.
Jon and Wendy fight over where to put their father; but he is soon moved to a nursing home in Buffalo near where Jon works as a professor. Wendy thinks a nursing home is horrible but Jon reminds her they can't afford assisted living and realistically there aren't many other choices for their father. It's remarkable just how much these two adult children care for a father after nearly twenty years of silence, not even knowing where he was living, and taking abuse from him daily when they were both young children and very vulnerable.
It's also interesting to see the emotional pain Jon and Wendy almost silently endure when having to deal with each other and their elderly father. The scars are not healed; and the acting is quite convincing. You can really feel the pent up emotions from the dysfunctional family dynamics that were never resolved. This adds a lot to the movie.
Meanwhile, Wendy struggles along with her married boyfriend Larry (Peter Friedman). Jon breaks up with his girlfriend Kasia (Cara Seymour) after her visa expires and she must return to her native Poland because neither she nor Jon are ready for marriage.
What happens from here? The plot can go anywhere. Will Lenny and his children ever even begin to resolve their differences from the past? Will Jon or Wendy find love? What about Wendy's grant so that she can put on a semi-autobiographical play? Will she get the grant money? Watch and find out!
The DVD comes with some interesting extras; I especially liked the "extended scenes" and there's another very good feature entitled "About The Savages."
The Savages deals with family relationships on several different levels simultaneously and for this reason The Savages is a very good film. True, it moves a bit too slowly and they could have cut a few minutes here and there; but the overall effect is still quite satisfying. I highly recommend this movie for people studying family dynamics and people who are dealing with the issues of caring for an elderly parent. You won't be disappointed!