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Copernicus on Phillip Seymour Hoffman's JACK GOES BOATING from TIFF
Copernicus here.
TIFF is over, but I’m still getting caught up in my reviews after spending
this last week in Leiden (for an astrophysics conference I was organizing)
and Amsterdam (let’s just say when Vincent Vega said, “You’d dig it the most,”
he was speaking directly to me). I blame the haze of Amsterdam, but anyway,
here’s my belated review of JACK GOES BOATING, which is already out in some
markets.
I’ll go see anything with Phillip Seymour Hoffman in it – he’s one of
the greatest actors working. He plays the lead character here, so it
was an easy pick for TIFF on that aspect alone. But as an added
bonus, he’s also making his directorial debut with JACK GOES BOATING.
It’s a small character drama that started as a play, but boy is it an
actor’s dream. Think PUNCH DRUNK LOVE: almost all the drama comes
from small moments in the lives of decidedly mixed up individuals as
they confront the obstacles of their own personality flaws that have
sabotaged their attempts at forming long-term relationships.
Clyde (John Ortiz) and Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega) have been married for
years, but we slowly come to learn that there have been strains from
the past that are slowly starting to bubble back up to the surface.
But that’s just the secondary, background plot. At the forefront is
their friend Jack (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), who they are trying to
set up with a new co-worker of Lucy’s, named Connie (the brilliant Amy
Ryan). Jack and Connie each have had serious problems forming
relationships, and as their personalities are revealed we start to see
why. Neither seem to quite be playing with a full deck, and they are
each their own worst enemy.
Jack drives a limo for a living, but he really has an eye on a job in
public transit (seriously). He’s not quite mentally challenged, but
neither does he exactly have an IQ in the triple digits. (Note to
screenwriters: never, ever, name your even mildly “simple” characters
“Jack.” TROPIC THUNDER ruined that name for you forever. Mercifully,
the timeless dictate to “Never go full retard,” is heeded.) Actually,
this Jack foregoes obvious cognitive deficits for ostensible strengths
to a fault: he’s sincere, eager, dedicated, and guileless. So much so
that he spends the New York winter learning to swim because he
promised Connie that he’d take her on a boat trip in the spring. This
might be kind of sweet, and it certainly smacks of desperation, but it
leaves the film tiptoeing around condescension. This could have been
a disaster, but with both his superb acting and direction, Phillip
Seymour Hoffman manages to keep this train on the tracks and turn Jack
into a believable, compelling character.
In fact, this is the actor’s script of actor’s scripts – it has four
well written but hard to realize characters, each of whom run the
gamut of human emotion. The acting all around is top-notch. Amy Ryan
delivers a magnificent performance as the fragile, beset, but eager
Connie. She got all kinds of awards, and even an Oscar nomination for
GONE BABY GONE, and I’ve long been a fan of hers from THE WIRE and THE
OFFICE, so glad to see her here in another great role. I wasn’t as
familiar with John Ortiz or Daphne Rubin-Vega, but each are perfect as
lovers whose relationship is fraying as a counterpoint to the budding
relationship they are hoping to build in their friends.
I was glad to see that Phillip Seymour Hoffman didn’t just play it
safe in his first time in the director’s chair. He made some bold
choices, and they paid off. GRIZZLY BEAR did the music for the film,
and with a few songs by FLEET FOXES thrown in, they establish an
ethereal, contemplative tone. Maybe it was the moody, contemporary
music, maybe it is the theme of struggling to find your footing while
yearning for a relationship, or maybe it was the carefully composed,
nearly abstract shots of swimmers, but thoughts of THE GRADUATE
certainly crossed my mind. JACK GOES BOATING isn’t quite in that
league, but it is no small feat for a first time director to evoke
favorable comparisons to an all-time classic. I doubt JACK GOES
BOATING will be doing huge box office numbers, but it is worth
catching for the performances alone. And I’m eager to see the next
film from this up and coming director named Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
Mail Copernicus
-- Copernicus
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I'm on a roll!
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D.Vader was one of the most valuable Talkbackers on this site. He had been here a long time, and he always had something SMART and THOUGHTFUL to contribute to a conversation. Even when he disagreed with you, he did so respectfully, therefore commanding the same respect from you.
This place is overrun with trolls and spammers, but D.Vader gets the boot for merely questioning Beaks' arbitrary banning policy? Pardon my French, but what a load of shit. Vader deserved better than that.
Goodbye for now, Vader. You are a wise Talkbacker, a helluva Pedalbacker, and a loyal friend. I hope you will be back soon.
Beaks, if you have any appreciation for fairness, you will reinstate D.Vader. I call on all of you who laughed or argue with Vades over the years to join me in imploring Beaks to undo his grave error. It is time to fix this, sir. -
You're Avatar treatise was top-notch.
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or he did, til he was senselessly cut down in his prime by a CHUD-inspired assassin.
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Sep 29, 2010 9:49:42 AM CDT
D.Vader had great insight into this film BUT HE CANT SHARE IT
by vic twenty
Until he is reinstated.
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Reinstate D.Vader
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D.Vader = badthis makes fucking sense
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he prolly knew Phil Hoffman. Prolly called him Phil. He would have an anecdote or two to tell I would bet.
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Since when did AICN decide it was The Man? Drunk with power, are you, Beaks? (have him read this please) Please consider whatever question it was asked by D.Vader that got him banned to be asked by me. Isn't the right to express your opinions and views what TALKBACK means?
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Beaks -- no TB love till Vader is reinstated. Suck it.
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If anybody appreciated Sally Menke's work it was him.
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But don't give Beaks the satisfaction of sustained talkbacks. Just stick a Vader post in there and let it be done.
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Sep 29, 2010 2:58:20 PM CDT
When was the last time PSH made a relevant movie?
by melgibsonsracialtirade
I havent seen any of his movies since...I think Truman, which sucked.
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I'm gonna repost this in a few other talkbacks. Please be kind enough to help me out.In honor of D.Vader and in response to Harry Knowles's email in which Harry threatened to permanently ban D. Vader if **WE** became annoying in our protests ("Chris will have a 90 day ban, unless he and his friends get annoying, in which case his ban will become perm.") Ain't it cool, guys? Threatening to ban someone for a protest initiated by OTHERS? And remember - this is from the fat liberal protest-worshiping toad himself! Guess "peace" and "love" and "power to the people" ain't exactly all that when it's directed at the capricious whims of you, your contributors and your site.For purposes of solidarity and protest, I'm taking Ain't It Cool out of my drop down menu, set my Outlook Reminder, and am avoiding this site for ninety (90) days - I'll return 12/28/10. If Vader's back, cool. If not, well, like others have said, there are plenty of OTHER sites to get this shit from. The one redeeming grace of this site has been the talkbacks and the people (smart, stupid, crazy, fun, insane, wild, angry people) in the talkbacks. But it looks like Harry et al. have decided to behave in a dictatorial and willfully impulsive manner, alienating many talkbackers. I'm done. See you in ninety!
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another boring ass Phillip Seymour Hoffman movie that no one will ever see or give a shit about. What does that make it for him? a hundred movies so far?
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