The Savages on DVD (2007)

Subtle & credible

MariElaina from Bury St. Edmunds [Highly rated reviewer] , 01/06/2008

Considering the subject matter being dementia of an abusive, estranged, elderly parent & his self absorbed dysfunctional adult son & daughter, I found this film to be interestingly understated & without the usual tear jerking sentimentalism that often accompanies those films dealing with the final days of cruel illness.

I felt this film was more about how Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) & Wendy (Laura Linney) his sister, each dealt with & eventually came to terms with the situation thrust upon them. I though their acting was superb & totally credible, neither over or under playing their roles. Whilst Jon displayed his practical, somewhat skeptical & dour maleness, Wendy's emotions covered guilt, confusion & self esteem in a convincing & very feminine way.

Both benefited from their enforced time together & so a positive future ensued.

I was impressed by the direction of Tamara Jenkins, especially with the natural & subtle way that humour was introduced.

If you like thoughtful films that explore humankind, you will probably enjoy this one.

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The Savages

A customer from WALES , 04/08/2008

Written and directed by Tamara Jenkins The Savages is a wonderfully insightful and humane story about a brother and sister who barely connect with each other on an emotional level , but are thrown into turmoil when the father they haven't seen in years following an emotionally abusive childhood is left to fend for himself when his partner of 20 years dies and he has no recourse to her estate. However there is an added complication as Lenny Savage (Phillip Bosco) has severe dementia and it is left to his children to find him somewhere to live to see his days out.

Enter Wendy Savage(Laura Linney) a budding New york playwright who works as a temp as she waits for an artistic breakthrough. and Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) her brother who teaches drama a college in Buffalo but has bigger but yet to be fulfilled aspirations. The siblings aren't particularly hostile towards each other, but it is clear from the outset that they are not close and in fact have a certain degree of artistic and professional rivalry.

Hoffman and Linney burn the screen up between them and when they play off against each other, the result is acting dynamite . They are critical of each other's failed relationships, bicker constantly, and are suspicious of each others's motives as they strive to find the aggresive and argumentative Lenny a new home.

However Jon is the more grounded of the two and injects some realism into proceedings as Wendy struggles to cope with the feelings of guilt in relation to her father's situation, and slowly but surely it becomes clear that this film is more about the relationship between the two siblings rather than their father, who it is clear has been a nasty piece of work long before he became ill.

It's a film about lost opprtunities, reconciliation , and taking responsibility in life and I personally found it a poignant and realistic portrayal of the decision making dilemmas that many of us have to face in similar situations . Well worth a peep.

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I loved it!!

splumb11 from Sudbury [Highly rated reviewer] , 02/06/2008

Loved it so much decided to write my first review on here.

Great Acting.

Great Script.

Great Direction.

A study of Love, Life and Family.

If you like action, maybe not for you,but as a study of the complexities of human nature it is stunning.

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Fantastic

russbowes [Highly rated reviewer] , 26/06/2008

Quite slowly and sparingly plotted, this film is nonetheless quite stark and brutal in its portrayal of decaying family relationships. Sometimes not an easy film to watch (the subject material is about as far from the usual Hollywood candyfloss as possible), full of darkness illuminated by shafts of light as humour, present in all things if you look hard enough, occasionally breaks through, naturally and unforced. Linney, a sadly overlooked actress, shows she is capable of stepping up to the mark with the big guys and turns in a performance of real power and subtlety. Hoffman does an excellent job of making us hate him almost from the word go, and then proceeds to knock the blocks from under our feet.

Great stuff, sensitively shot - Ive recommended it to several people already.

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Fantastic

russbowes [Highly rated reviewer] , 26/06/2008

Quite slowly and sparingly plotted, this film is nonetheless quite stark and brutal in its portrayal of decaying family relationships. Sometimes not an easy film to watch (the subject material is about as far from the usual Hollywood candyfloss as possible), full of darkness illuminated by shafts of light as humour, present in all things if you look hard enough, occasionally breaks through, naturally and unforced. Linney, a sadly overlooked actress, shows she is capable of stepping up to the mark with the big guys and turns in a performance of real power and subtlety. Hoffman does an excellent job of making us hate him almost from the word go, and then proceeds to knock the blocks from under our feet.

Great stuff, sensitively shot - Ive recommended it to several people already.

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Thought-provoking

A customer from Innerleithen , 14/08/2008

The title might give the wrong impression as to the theme of the film as 'Savages' is the surname of the three main characters. The sad decline of an elderly parent into dementia is an unusual topic for a Hollywood studio to tackle, but one that will have resonance for many of us who have, or have had, elderly parents becoming more and more dependent and requiring institutional care. It's a thought-provoking film with excellent and moving performances.

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