Before winning an Oscar for best leading actor in Capote, Philip Seymour Hoffman proved he can play the leading role and deliver a memorable performance in Love Liza. In the movie, written by his brother Gordy, Hoffman plays Wilson Joel. Dealing with the recent suicide of his wife, Wilson carries around an unopened suicide letter and numbs the pain by getting high on gasoline fumes.
No matter how sad or obscure the character, and he has played a few, Hoffman never fails to bring a unique sense of humor. There are few things sadder than the love of your life committing suicide, but Hoffman still finds the comedy in a seriously tragic character. High on fumes and dazed with denial, Wilson Joel sinks lower than most viewers are willing to go, but he provides some laughs along the way. Here are my three favorite randomly funny things from the movie:
1. Joel, a web designer, continues to awkwardly laugh at a simple joke told around the water cooler until every one of his fellow employees uncomfortably leaves.
2. When his friend wins some random remote control boat race, Joel is so elated with his clapping, jumping, and laughing that it in slow motion it looks like he is flying.
3. Every time Joel gets in trouble with his nerdy remote control buddy, Denny, Denny keeps playing the “his wife just committed suicide” card as a way to get them out of trouble.
Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a seriously thoughtful performance, and I would recommend Love Liza for sure. By the way, the next night I watched Hoffman in Charlie Wilson’s War. Let’s just say that I have never seen Philip give a less than excellent performance.
To refresh your memory, here are just some of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s memorable performances in supporting roles: 1) Brandt, the brown-nosing assistant in The Big Lebowski (1998); 2) Freddy Miles, the rich vacationing prick in Europe in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999); 3) Lester Bangs, the jilted rock critic in Almost Famous (2000); 4) Sandy Lyles, the once childhood star “making it rain” in Along Came Polly (2004).
If you love The Big Lebowski as much as I do, you could even go to the Lebowski Fest as Brandt.
Click below for an interview with Philip Seymour Hoffman about his new movie with Laura Linney, The Savages.
Philip Seymour Hoffman Interview about The Savages