The Savages
Published June 9, 2009 @ 20:42 in Reviews
The Savages: 7.5 out of 10.
I'm not capable of disliking a Philip Seymour Hoffman movie. He's so good, his presence elevates a film. He's definitely in my top five - the man can act.
Throw in a great Laura Linney performance, and you can't really screw it up. "The Savages" is a little slow in parts, but overall a bittersweet film about a sister and brother who begin to care for their ailing father.
If you're interested, I once ranked my five favourite Philip Seymour Hoffman movies.
Toronto Mike
June 9, 2009 / 21:23
My favourite exchange....
Jon Savage: Dad's not the one that has a problem with the Valley View. There's nothing wrong with Dad's situation. Dad's situation is fine. He's never gonna adjust to it if we keep yanking him outta there. And, actually, this upward mobility fixation of yours, it's counterproductive and, frankly, pretty selfish. Because it's not about Dad, it's about you and your guilt. That's what these places prey upon.
Wendy Savage: I happen to think it's nicer here.
Jon Savage: Of course you do, because you are the consumer they want to target. You are the guilty demographic. The landscaping, the neighborhoods of care; they're not for the residents, they're for the relatives. People like you and me who don't want to admit to what's really going on here.
Wendy Savage: Which is what, Jon?
Jon Savage: People are dying, Wendy! Right inside that beautiful building right now, it's a fucking horror show! And all this wellness propaganda and the landscaping, it's just there to obscure the miserable fact that people die! And death is gaseous and gruesome and it's filled with shit and piss and rotten stink!