"Jack Goes Boating", Indie Movie Sinking

Jack Goes Boating

I've been delaying this review, for personal reasons, but mainly because I wanted to put some distance between Philip Seymour Hoffman's death and writing the following lines. ""Jack Goes Boating" was his only movie as a director and, needless to say, I was hoping for the best. Unfortunately, it is not the case. Something that hurts.

"Jack Goes Boating" is an odd relationship's drama, adapting the 2007 play, directed by Peter Dubois, where Hoffman starred in. He and two of the three other lead stage actors (John Ortiz and Daphne Rubin-Vega) also reprise their roles in the movie. The story itself is pretty simple. Jack (Hoffman) is an extremely shy, socially awkward (anti-social?) man whose married friends Clyde (Ortiz) and Lucy (Rubin-Vega) arrange a blind date with Connie (Amy Ryan), a woman with even bigger social problems than him (mental illness?). There's a connection between the two, one that impulses Jack to take risks in his life and try to learn doing things that would please her. 

Jack's character is ultimately sweet and, to some extent, optimistic. He realizes the interest Connie has in him, and that makes him change. The screenplay puts the weight in what look as mundane activities, like learning to swim or cook (eventually also going boating), but the spectator feels compelled for what it seems a conscious transformation of a curious man trying to improve, get out of his extremely lonely and narrow world. For love. Add some fascinating scenes at the pool, the special lightning the snowy city seems to have, and we could be in front of an odd sequel of the wonderful "Punch-Drunk Love". That's not the case.

Why? Because this is an actor's movie (it should be) but I couldn't believe them, not to mention be engaged, with any of the characters. Characters are exaggeratedly closed-off emotionally and we don't know anything about their past, so the spectator lost them (imo). To my view, this is an example of a movie on which we clearly cross the line between the much needed ellipsis to an under-defined, insufficient script. Trying to be more precise: with the amount of information we have while watching, to me Jack and Connie have serious emotional and mental issues, but that's left wide open. "The normal couple" that helps Jack, Clyde and Lucy, soon reveal as not so normal, as they have been struggling with pretty bad relationship problems themselves, but again, the spectator is left to fill the plot holes by itself. For me, it was completely unbelievable. And although this could be just a personal impression, the lack of engagement with the actors provokes the disappointing feeling of watching a very slow, dragged, lifeless movie with very occasional sparks (the foursome dinner, the friends conversation inside a car) and what could have been a very interesting take on sentimental relations.

To my understanding, "Jack Goes Boating" tries so hard to be quirky. It's "indie" in that annoying way that makes a vast amount of people avoid this sort of "small" movies. In this case, I would blame a script that looks too secluded and airless, relying too much on the physical presence of the characters, as it we were still in front of the original play at the theater. I still owe you a last discovery, a last amazing performance Philip.  

SCORE: 4,75/10

A tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman

The best actor of his generation is gone. A terrible finale for an immense talent. I have never been so sad about an artist passing away, but Philip Seymour Hoffman wasn't your average actor. Here’s my modest tribute, a brief countdown through his best 10 perfomances imo, to an incredible career that has ended too soon.

10. Punch-Drunk Love- Dean Trumbell

For many, Hoffman will be remembered as an infallible secondary actor. While that consideration is unfair and utterly reductionist, it's true he has given us so many unforgettable non-leading roles, like the raging "Mattress Man".

9. Boogie Nights- Scotty J.
Speaking of secondary roles, the ridiculously shy, fatty, gay member of the impossible porn filming crew that has a crush on Dirk Diggler is hard to forget. Paul Thomas Anderson and Philip Seymour Hoffman are going to repeat on this list, if you were asking...

8. Almost Famous- Lester Bangs
I mean, Hoffman becoming Lester Bangs? What else a music fanatic would ask for? Unfortunately the film wasn’t as remarkable (despite its undeniable charms) as Lester's, sorry, Philip's, performance.

7. The Master- Lancaster Dodd
Bad joke warning. Hoffman gave a masterful (sorry about that) performance here, one so immense and powerful (alongside Joaquim Phoenix) they made this imo failed movie a must watch and celebrate.

6. Magnolia- Phil Parma
If Paul Thomas Anderson was capable of making Tom Cruise look like a great actor here, imagine what he did with one of the best. The desperation, loneliness and torment of his performance as the personal nurse to the dying host of a children’s game show was heartbreaking.

5. Happiness- Allen

And if we talk about loneliness, what about the pervert looking for happiness in his obsession over neighbor Helen? Todd Solonz made an incredible fierce, brave movie, one that itches and irks, bursts and suffocates the viewer. And he found an infallible actor in Hoffman to give a face to one of his most striking characters.

4. Love, Liza- Wilson Joel

Oblivion and utter sadness. Hoffman IS the movie.

3. The 25th Hour- Jacob Elinsky
One of Monty Brogan's childhood friends, and Hoffman most striking secondary role. As the introverted, restrained teacher he incarnates self-repression, suffering because of his inability to interact with real world. What should we say to him?

2. Synecdoche, New York- Caden Cotard
The face of torture, a monstrous performance for a monstrous film. Hoffman is compelling, painful to watch, depressing, terribly empathic, nonsensical, all at the same time. As complex and imperfect as this exaggerated (meaning that in a good way) look of what it means to be human and live life.

1. The Savages- Jon Savage
It's an excellent, flawless little indie movie (with the great Laura Linney), but the reason it tops this list is because I do believe (or I want to believe) that's the closest Hoffman, the actor, showed who was Hoffman, the human being. Fragile, good natured but terribly pessimistic. This dialogue on the film summarises it. Jon Savage: [about his girlfriend] She's moving back to Poland. Wendy Savage: What, you and Kasia broke up? Jon Savage: No, her visa expired. Wendy Savage: So that's it? Her visa expires, and it's over. Jon Savage: It's either that or we get married and no one's ready for that. Weren't you ready to keep living, Philip? We'll miss you.