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Engaging realism Oct 30, 2009
4 1/2 stars.
The Savages immediately brings to our attention the
uncaring treatment of the elderly by caretakers in
its opening scene. And calls into question the high
tolerance one must have to deal with people in a decrepit
condition suffering from diseases that can regress one
back into child-like behavior.
Two estranged siblings (Laura Linney and Philip-Seymour
Hoffman) are quickly called upon to help their unpleasant
father whom is diagnosed with dementia. The daughter, Wendy,
realizes the gravity of the situation and seeks to fulfill
that motherly instinct by caring for a man who could hardly
be called a father. The son, Jon, is initially reluctant and
uncaring of the father's plight, but gives in due to Wendy's
pressure and his obligation as a son. Down the road we are
given glimpses of the father's true colors at the most
inopportune moments, hinting at what a truly horrible man
he was. Mr. Savages old film reel is shown one night at the
home, adding racism to his list of horrible traits.
The wounded siblings seek to establish some form of a normal
love life, but it is precarious at best, as the daughter
sleeps with a married man she has no intellectual or emotional
connection to. When this man brings attention to the reality
of the situation, Wendy quickly severs contact. Subesquently,
she becomes infatuated with a Nigerian caretaker, one who
shows her the attention that she desperately craves. In an
awkward scene the two sit side-by-side and Wendy unexpectedly
puts a move on the man, and makes the comment "I'm so gross!"
when her advance is rejected (A symptom of her father's racism).
Despite her beauty, she does not see herself as beautiful and
does not feel worthy of true emotional intimacy, but only
physical love with no strings attached (A symptom of incest
by the father?). The son fairs just as badly, rejecting emotional
commitment and making far-fetched excuses as to why he cannot
be with a woman that clearly cares about him, or is at least
trying to. Amusingly, the two become judges of each others torn
lives, but fail to be introspective of their own.
The actors play these flawed characters superbly with nuance
and realism, exposing those repressed emotions at just the
right moments. The film's main points of human fallibility and
death are done so effectively; leaving the viewer to be
introspective of our own lives and sympathetic to those close
to us. "The Savages" certainly deserves the awards it has recieved
and I will be on the lookout for future films by Tamara Jenkins.
This is the third film in which Laura Linney soothingly says
the name John (The Mothman Prophecies and the John Adams series
being the other two, though there might be more).
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A cut above the rest Aug 03, 2009
The dysfunctional family is a theme which has been so overdone in American film that I can't blame you if the prospect of watching yet another screwy family on screen elicits a groan. But The Savages stands a cut above the rest, not just for the performances (which were wonderful), or the writing (which was flawless), but because at long last the reason for the dysfunctionality makes sense. (It's not just the fact that we're junk-food-eating Americans who watch too much TV.)
The plot of the movie is deceptively simple. Two siblings, Wendy and Jon Savage, are suddenly faced with the responsibility of caring for their demented father, Lenny. Neither sibling has been what you would call a success in life. Wendy, who works as a temp in New York City, is stuck in a tire-spinning relationship with a married man. Jon, a theater professor in Buffalo who is perpetually on the verge of writing his definitive work on Berthold Brecht, can't seem to keep a relationship going either. And Lenny, apparently, has not done anything approaching a good job as a father. Normally, the interactions of three people who haven't got much going for them wouldn't make a good movie. In this case, however, it worked.
The reason it worked is that the interactions were entirely realistic. Wendy's neurotic quest to find some indication that her father has actually cared about his children is entirely plausible. (It is only in movies that daughters dramatically lash back at cold fathers. Mostly they seek approval.) Jon's rejection of Wendy's efforts is equally as plausible, although you don't find out why until the end of the film. As with Wendy, Jon provokes no confrontation with his father. There is no cathartic moment of resolution--just quiet resignation. The fact that nothing is overdramatized is what makes the film so believable.
Even if the topic does not appeal to you, The Savages is worth watching just for Philip Seymour Hoffman, who, as always, gives a masterful performance. Hoffman's ability to convey subtle emotions--of every variety--is simply unmatched. Laura Linney, as the pill-popping Wendy, gives a fine performance, as does Philip Bosco as the irascible Lenny. The supporting cast was convincing enough to make you think they weren't actors--just real people. And that's precisely what this film was about.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Savages Jul 16, 2009
Great movie! After I heard about it, I rented a copy and reviewed it with a co-worker in the hopes that we can show this movie to our students next schoolyear. We teach Certified Nursing Assisting Program and its definitely a big YES!! Overall, it is a wonderful movie for any family to watch as it shows about love, care, decision making and many other elements on aging parents.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 wretchedly unhappy movie May 30, 2009
I would never have finished watching this movie if Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman had not been in it. These two are actors' actors. They just never have a false moment. This movie, however, is just plain sad. Spoiler alert: was the conclusion supposed to be a happy one for them because their dad died and they could get back to their own lives? I agree that it is a part of life that we all will have to cope with (if we arn't already) but it was despressing. I just expected more and was disappointed in the premise.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
The best kind of Indie film: explores complex emotions without gimmick May 22, 2009
This is a moving journey into the lives of two very real siblings. Faced with the unexpected responsibility of dealing with a father who barely deserves their meagre emotional resources, they deal with the problem, with each other, and with their lives.
Like many people in real life, there is no simple resolution, no uplifting revelation, no emergence: they just move on to the next struggle, with some hope. It is that that makes this a first rate film, that it can be believed and experienced - and it certainly reflects what most of us know at one time or another.
Hoffman and Linney are absolutely wonderful. Their relationship is difficult and you can feel the tension that continues, even though the details are only alluded to rather than spelled out. You simply feel for them, you don't judge them or laugh at them. It is realism at its very very best. Individually, their lives are also not easy, but to say they are losers or crippled like some reviewers have here is an over-statement: like many of us, they are wounded and doing the best they can.
Then there is the father, whose behavior and sins are only to be guessed. He is a shell of a man, sometimes lucid, sometimes slipping into the kind of evil you suspect he perpetrated. Yet they still feel some love and caring for him and take their responsibilities seriously. It is a painful spectacle, but very real.
Recommended. This is a splendid journey into areas rarely covered by film, without frills or silly plot twists.
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