The Savages (2007)
(Tamara Jenkins, US 2007, 113 min., 35mm)
Ordinarily the tribulations of a pair of embattled siblings (Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman) faced with caring for their ailing, estranged father (Philip Bosco) is hardly the stuff of comedy. In the hands of writer-director Tamara Jenkins (Slums of Beverly Hills), however, their plight becomes a funny, deeply touching exploration of responsibility, guilt, and forgiveness. Linney’s turn as a high-strung, self-absorbed playwright forced to think outside herself earned her an Academy Award nomination, but her performance would be nothing without Hoffman. Always the consummate costar, Hoffman again demonstrates one of his great strengths as an actor: knowing when to step back and let someone else take center stage.