The Savages (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Siblings Wendy & Jon Savage (Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman), face the brutal realities of family responsibility when they begin to take care of their elderly father in 'The Savages', a dark comedy written & directed by Tamara Jenkins. They're estranged from each other, and have been estranged from their father for quite some time; making the entire situation more difficult than imagined. This film takes a good look at love, life & death. Whereas life used to center on no one but themselves, now Wendy & Jon are challenged/forced to do something for someone else for a change. Encompassing elements of delusion, bitterness & warmth, Wendy & Jon will try to stop floundering, learn from their mistakes, & grow as human beings. Some sections plod, but the nuanced acting is brilliant.
Lenny Savage (a stellar Philip Bosco) is suffering from vascular dementia (the same affliction that hampers the elderly Briony Tallis in Atonement). Down in Arizona, he is no longer capable of living on his own (he'd rather write on his walls with excrement then actually flush it down the toilet). Care falls to his 2 adult children, Wendy & Jon. She resides in NYC, trying to get a grant for her playwriting. He resides in Buffalo, doing something in a similar vein. Both are in a mid-life crisis, & both don't want to deal with dad, but they know they have to come together & just do it. Both of them are socially stunted because they carry emotional baggage as a result of adolescent mistreatment from 'ole pop. Nevertheless, they place him in a nursing home to live out the rest of his days (in Buffalo).
However, while dad erodes away in utter misery, Wendy starts to feel guilt. She temporarily relocates to Jon's home (he's an organized hoarder of clutter) to be close to dad. She breaks off with her on-again-off-again boyfriend (who's happily married), and tries to make sense of her current situation. Jon feels similarly, but refuses to verbalize/whine about it like his younger sis. They're oddly happy to have each other around, they reconnect (in spurts), but the given situation creates friction btwn. the 2 of them more than anything else. They're both smart, they both have lofty goals in their respective careers. But failed relationships, and the bother created by their dad has every aspect of their mid-life crises amplified to deafening heights. Can they overcome this bad patch in their lives?
This NOT a feel-good movie; though it has its' moments of hysterical realism, and it ends beautifully. Thanks to Linney & Hoffman's superb portrayals as the Savages, the film offers great insight into painful family dynamics. Neither of these 2 are emotionally stable to begin with (thanks to dad). Jon has some big time self-esteem issues. And though he loves his Polish girlfriend, he refuses to marry her so she can stay in America. Wendy takes Xanax, & even steals Percocet from a dead woman's pill bottle. You see (and feel) what type of people they are. They're not bad people (not at all), they're just stuck, around age 40, with no foreseeable direction in life. But thanks to their dad's timely demise (and their sketchy, but meaningful reconnect), the 'hope' that things 'could' get better is re-instilled.
What I love most about this movie are the character interactions. Brother-sister, father-son, hospital patient-nursing home staff ... the interactions all feel compassionate, empathetic, and tense (at times). There isn't a hint of melodrama in the screenplay; it's all incredibly honest. And the moments of dark, deadpan humor are highly appreciated. Really, the film lacks weaknesses. My only complaint is that it drags (with exception to the last 5 minutes) in the last half hour or so. Little happens, & everything rests upon silences, awkward reactions, & inevitable movements. But with patience, a rewarding experience is to be had (live life to the fullest, while you're still here). I loved the blend of sorrow & sarcasm. And this is the best sibling relationship I've ever witnessed onscreen.
Lenny Savage (a stellar Philip Bosco) is suffering from vascular dementia (the same affliction that hampers the elderly Briony Tallis in Atonement). Down in Arizona, he is no longer capable of living on his own (he'd rather write on his walls with excrement then actually flush it down the toilet). Care falls to his 2 adult children, Wendy & Jon. She resides in NYC, trying to get a grant for her playwriting. He resides in Buffalo, doing something in a similar vein. Both are in a mid-life crisis, & both don't want to deal with dad, but they know they have to come together & just do it. Both of them are socially stunted because they carry emotional baggage as a result of adolescent mistreatment from 'ole pop. Nevertheless, they place him in a nursing home to live out the rest of his days (in Buffalo).
However, while dad erodes away in utter misery, Wendy starts to feel guilt. She temporarily relocates to Jon's home (he's an organized hoarder of clutter) to be close to dad. She breaks off with her on-again-off-again boyfriend (who's happily married), and tries to make sense of her current situation. Jon feels similarly, but refuses to verbalize/whine about it like his younger sis. They're oddly happy to have each other around, they reconnect (in spurts), but the given situation creates friction btwn. the 2 of them more than anything else. They're both smart, they both have lofty goals in their respective careers. But failed relationships, and the bother created by their dad has every aspect of their mid-life crises amplified to deafening heights. Can they overcome this bad patch in their lives?
This NOT a feel-good movie; though it has its' moments of hysterical realism, and it ends beautifully. Thanks to Linney & Hoffman's superb portrayals as the Savages, the film offers great insight into painful family dynamics. Neither of these 2 are emotionally stable to begin with (thanks to dad). Jon has some big time self-esteem issues. And though he loves his Polish girlfriend, he refuses to marry her so she can stay in America. Wendy takes Xanax, & even steals Percocet from a dead woman's pill bottle. You see (and feel) what type of people they are. They're not bad people (not at all), they're just stuck, around age 40, with no foreseeable direction in life. But thanks to their dad's timely demise (and their sketchy, but meaningful reconnect), the 'hope' that things 'could' get better is re-instilled.
What I love most about this movie are the character interactions. Brother-sister, father-son, hospital patient-nursing home staff ... the interactions all feel compassionate, empathetic, and tense (at times). There isn't a hint of melodrama in the screenplay; it's all incredibly honest. And the moments of dark, deadpan humor are highly appreciated. Really, the film lacks weaknesses. My only complaint is that it drags (with exception to the last 5 minutes) in the last half hour or so. Little happens, & everything rests upon silences, awkward reactions, & inevitable movements. But with patience, a rewarding experience is to be had (live life to the fullest, while you're still here). I loved the blend of sorrow & sarcasm. And this is the best sibling relationship I've ever witnessed onscreen.