To put it simply, "The Savages" is the most human look at life I've
seen in theaters this year. It's incredibly easy to relate to if you
have ever ever seen some relative or family friend of yours get old and
then forget who you are due to some sort of elder person's disease. It
features three of the year's finest performances from Laura Linney,
Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Phillip Brosco, all of whom radiate on the
screen as real, ordinary but complex, people. Linney and Hoffman play
brother and sister, two writers who have an argumentative but loving
way of getting along. Brosco plays their father, who has done something
really, well, "dirty," and has drawn the attention of the family that
had been caring for him, who no longer wish to do so.

From there, Linney and Hoffman's characters meet up with the father
whom they haven't seen in years, and who was never very compassionate
towards them. However, their father has dementia, and slowly begins to
forget who they are. Instead of their main concern being whether or not
he's kind to them, the kids are afraid they won't be able to
communicate with him at all. The way Tamara Jenkins handles this, from
both the perspective of the kids and the perspective of the father, is
brilliant. She really understands the way family relations work, as her
film is spot-on in that aspect.

The three performances are all great for their own reasons. Linney
plays a woman who is really confused with her life: she's having an
affair with a married man who's ten years older than her, she lies to
everyone she knows about things that aren't worth it, and she is having
a lot of trouble getting produced as a writer. Hoffman, her older
brother, has a really relaxed humanistic side to him, always countering
Linney's loud worrisome actions with a calm, mind-processing technique.
The chemistry between this brother-sister duo - probably the only
opposite-sex-adult-aged-duo that doesn't have any romantic elements
(for obvious reasons) - is one of the most realistic works of chemistry
you'll find in a theater this year. Throw in Phillip Brosco - who
absolutely conquers the dementia that his character has (my aunt has
dementia, so I see her all the time and know that his face and way of
talking and mannerisms are all spot on) - and you've got three
characters who are so strong alone that they're enough reason to see
this movie, funny-touching script and story aside.

While all three performances were incredible, I'd have to say that my
favorite performance came from Hoffman. Linney played the
confused-wreck card very well, but it's not like she's the first
actress to confront or conquer that territory. Brosco was astoundingly
realistic as a man with dementia, but his role doesn't carry very far
beyond that. Hoffman's performance, while not "loud" in any way, is
simply the best portrayal of an ordinary human being I've seen in
years, if that makes any sense. Everything, from the way he reacts to
what people say, to the way he talks, to the way he expresses emotion
when he's feeling it - all of it is executed so well that I can't
believe that he was actually acting.

The ending of the film is very humane. It doesn't have any major twists
or bangs, but it doesn't end on a nothing-note either. It teaches us
that the lessons we learn from one experience can help us deal with the
next, and it's the many small messages like this and the very life-like
feel of the film's craft that make it one of the most special films I
had the experience of seeing at a theater this year.

A

(#3 of 2007)

more people need to go out and see this movie. now.

I saw it about a week ago. It was overlong and the direction was nothing special, but the performances were all phenomenal and really made it worth seeing. B+

Hooray for death!!!

What better holiday movie treat could there be than an "adult" brother and sister coming to terms with the death of their father? I can't think of one...

Laura Linney is an acting goddess.

There, I said it. She is amongst the super elite upper echelons of ultimate acting glory. Even beside Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who's no acting slouch, she emanates a wholly spiritual life energy on screen, yet remains perfectly submerged within her Savage character. It's a joy to behold, and certainly a rare treat.

The story is very well wrought, and the direction is a wonder of bittersweet humor and tragedy. A very nice little film indeed.

8 out of 5.

9/10 -> A-

A very funny and at the same time such a sad story about two siblings both disappointed in their lives and how they cope with the tragedy of having to take care of their demented father.

Great performances from the whole cast. I really can't single out someone, they're all just so real and believable.

One of the best of 2007!

THE SAVAGES - 9/10 (A-)

I loved it! Laura Linney was AMAZING in it. Her performance as Wendy Savage is my favorite performance of hers. And I loved the ending with Marley.

I figured it would be a typical pseudo-big-name-star-doing-indie-film but I was pleasantly surprised. It's nothing insanely special but it works and doesn't come across as false.

Linney is really good in this, which amazes me because although she's probably a super person in real life she kind of annoys me sometimes.

I thought it was quite good. Really good, layered character work, and as a film doing its best to be moving and saddening, it succeeds.

What elevates it of course is the actors, I mean I come in expecting a great performance from Linney in whatever she does, but this was truly exceptional... the best I've seen from her and one of the best female performances in general anytime recently. If the movie was bigger I think she would've stood a chance of finally getting that Oscar. And Hoffman is right behind here, also giving one of his best.

The movie looks pretty good too, Jenkins impressed me.

Surprisingly enough I was least sold on the screenplay, not that it was bad, but coming in I was expectating that to be the highlight, but the dialogue didn't really feel as accurate or realistic as it seemingly should... it still felt like a movie.

Very good tragic drama, overall.

4/5

I watched this a while ago and quite loved it but now I only remember so much. Laura Linney was the lead actress most indie-drama-comedy actresses wish they could be and PSH has not done something that didn't make me squeal (he even forces me to use double negatives.) The writing is what most indie-comedy-drama writers try to create and the simplistic direction lets the other elements shine. It's everything that other people told me Sideways was, and then something else that You can't quite put your finger on, like that quirky thing about your best friend that just makes them that much better than others.

Still I should remember it more directly. I recall my love of it well enough, but the actual, y'know, plot? Not so much.