The Savages
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Movie Reviews of The Savages
Movie Review: Not worth your time.
Summary: 2 Stars
This movie isn't worth watching. Therefore it's not worth my time to write a long drawn out review of this movie. I just have a few words for it. Boring. This movie stretches out a 60 minute film to nearly 2 hours. I love long movies (more for your money, right?) but this was pointless. The characters were completely unlikable. I never once felt sorry for them. I just wanted them to quit their constant whining about how busy they are and how their father abandoned them. Who cares! Movie Review: dvd cover is deceptive...no smiling during this movie
Summary: 3 Stars
Both actors on the cover do an absolutely amazing job at portraying somewhat estraganged brother / sister who get together to care for an ailing Dad that never much cared for either one of them. The big reason this gets 3 stars is only because that it is downright depressing to watch. If you ever wanted to have or have had the experience of dealing with picking out nursing homes and watching loved ones fade away then this movie is for you. I found it too monotonous and it just never lets up w/ the doom and gloom. Excellent casting and acting I just think the storyline didn't need to be so heartbreaking judging by the pic you get on the cover. Movie Review: An Incredible Work : Death & The Real World
Summary: 4 Stars
Tamara Jenkins is clearly a wondrous talent - "The Savages", which focusses on three family members who share that same last name, is a poignant, sometimes hilarious look at love and relationships between siblings, and most importantly our societys' interaction with aging parents and our responsibility toward them.
Despite being a straight-forward narrative, the film excels at certain vignettes that only add to its overall appeal - the scene where Laura Linney is in the airplane with her father and he needs to use the bathroom is especially realistic - I've actually witnessed something like this on an airplane - and the 'breakdown' scene where Linney goes about the hospital searching for the 'big red pillow' she bought her father is a superb high-point of the film as it defines the character so perfectly.
Both siblings here are people who want to 'be something in life'. To this end, they both consider themselves scholared academics on the quest for grants and scholarships and publishing deals. While Hoffman plays his role as the brother without a hint of irony, Linney's role seems better written as she is more 'flawed' and more 'real', without being a total turnoff. Her choice of love-partner (an unattractive, rather unintelligent married man in his 50s) is enough for us to draw up a suitable impression of her character. She is shown as slightly off-kilter, and not really high on the concept of morality. Linney also brings that special awkwardness that people with low self-esteem have, and by the end of the movie we are treated to the direction her life takes - and its not quite what we expected. That last scene will have you thinking for hours (no spoilers here - but it involves a dog that's undergone hip surgery).
"The Savages" is definitely not for everyone, even for many of you who might like slow, dialog-driven film. Its also not pretentious or pandering to an 'art-house' audience, which is something I appreciated. Its very real, down to earth, and definitely the kind of motion picture that Hollywood does not make anymore. At its' center is the superb performance by Linney (who by the way scored an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress in 2007 for this) - and its clearly an honor-worthy performance. Special mention must be made of the actor who plays the father - his expressions vacillate from bored, disinterested & tired to frantic, confused and violent - watching the other actors put in reactive performances to his outbursts are acting lessons in motion.
"The Savages", for all its dreary subject matter, is also a wonderful commentary on how we treat our parents in their old age. I doubt any of us are doing the 'best job we can', as the siblings in this film sadly find out. What is even harder to do is to care for a parent who didn't bother looking after you when you were growing up. To what extent should you bear responsibility? Do we consider our aging parents a burden or a comfort? Do we look after our aged to assuage our own guilt, or because we truly want to care for them? Very rarely do we even bother to ask ourselves these questions, but "The Savages" will make you wonder what sort of people we are, and how ageism is treated in our current global climate.
What I especially liked about this movie, is that despite its rather short running time (a little under two hours), its very rewatchable - with some great one-liners and situational dialog. Also, watching Laura Linney's facial expressions are enough to convince you that she's one of our contemporary greats. Another great film shes in is "The House of Mirth" with Gillian Anderson.
Four Stars. A great slice of 2007's independent movie scene.
Movie Review: As entertaining as it is bleak...
Summary: 5 Stars
Who would've thought that dysfunction could be so entertaining, as well as enlightening? In the hands of the very adept writer/director Tamara Jenkins, "The Savages" lets out all the stops. These characters are all damaged, in one way or another, and the screenplay allows great latitude to show the humor in everyday human foibles. Indeed, there's loads of unrequited familial love that has never been given the chance to flow naturally. Laura Linney and P.S. Hoffman are excellent, perfectly cast, and the wonderful Philip Bosco is on hand to add considerable angst to the proceedings. DVD extras are few but there's a nice making-of segment that explains a lot, and allows Ms. Jenkins to cite her connection to the story. It's not really a pleasant story, but the ending has a certain degree of redemption, and not the cop-out that might've been. I enjoyed "The Savages" very much; Indie film-making is definitely on the rise. Movie Review: Wonderful film
Summary: 5 Stars
My husband and I watched this film together and throughout the opening scenes and first part of the movie as the camera rolls through Sun City, Arizona, into the house, and even on into the hospital, everything was quite familiar. The central truths of this story - wonderfully filmed and wonderfully acted - just hit home. It's an extraordinary film with great performances and we loved it. It is absolutely true to the human experience, funny and tender and sad and hopeful, too. Loved it.