I would like to see that film. I remember he did that close to the end of punch-Drunks Love. He’s great screaming.
The guy is an incredible actor.
I’m so glad his career has took off since Capote. He’s been amazing these last few years and is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors.
Check out Love Liza if you like him. It’s one of his first starring roles and he’s amazing in it.
check out owning mahowny. great film.
One of my favorite actors. Refreshing to find people who actually know his name, let alone appreciate his work. =)
He is a very impressive actor. I really liked him in Happiness as well. I’m going to have to see Doubt, though I doubt it will come to my city, so I’ll probably have to wait until it comes out on BR or DVD.
best actor of his generation
One of my least favorite actors. He has two modes, pathetic narcissistic loser, and angry narcissistic loser. He’s a walking textbook of actor cliche’s, nothing but cheap mannerisms, especially when he’s angry (the hand glued to the hip, the touching of the nose before he makes a belabored point), he’s an expert at histrionics but I think he’s a bit lacking as an actor.
And what films would you be basing your pseudo-critical judgments of Hoffman on? Big words and sarcasm do not equate to intelligent discourse, despite what current “independent” cinema might have you believe.
So, I just ask for a higher quality of response. What films are you referring to in your generalities?
here’s one example that I saw recently, take the scene in “Charlie Wilson’s War” where he breaks his colleagues window also, every scene he’s in Punch drunk love
He also does this thing that kind of annoys me where he folds his arms and gleams sadly with his head down-owning mahoney, love liza, boogie nights, Capote.
His performances give me the impression of way too much effort, which may be some people’s cup of tea but it’s not mine.
I would also like one example of sarcasm in my post. It seems that you have some sort of general bone to pick and you’re taking it all out on me
Okay, glad you got it off your chest.
You are now superior because you came to a forum post that was praising someone and proceeded to point out what you see as their flaws (vague and minor ones at that). ::pats KF on the head::
Congratulations.
“Philip Seymour Hoffman has had enough” is what the thread is called. I assumed I was permitted to put my opinion on the table, as this is a public forum.
I guess I was wrong.
It’s not like I marched in and said “PhILLUp seymoore HofMAN IZ GIEGH, YOOO ALLZ SUKK”.
Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled film discussion…
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Synecdoche, New York
The Savages
Great acting. Philip Seymour Hoffman seems to only be getting better (he was the ONLY reason I watched Charlie Wilson’s War, but he wasn’t in it enough to justify the viewing) and I can’t wait to see Doubt. He is changing the face of American cinema. I would love to see more actors in the same vein (i.e. not traditionally or classically good looking, but showing a broad range of talent).
DC,
I’ll agree with you on the “not traditionally or classically good looking” comment %110. It’s definitely refreshing, are there other actors now that have the same thing working for them? I think William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi qualify, but anyone younger maybe?
But lets get down to it; What about him, outside of his physical appearance is so great, SPECIFICALLY ? simply saying that someone that disagrees is being general while dutifully mentioning someones “range of talent” in defense is a bit hypocritical.
So lets be civil now, what are the merits of his performances?
I like that if I really don’t agree with anything written on the boards, I can safely – and anonymously – give you a giant “Boo!” and rate you with a thumbs down! That’ll show ya!
Ever since his small roles in SCENT OF A WOMAN and TWISTER, through TALENTED MR. RIPLEY and COLD MOUNTAIN, right into BOOGIE NIGHTS and MAGNOLIA, right on through CAPOTE, Philip Seymour Hoffman has never failed to bore me senseless. Never a single interesting or unusual choice, he does what any capable actor would do, no less and certainly no more. I’ll lead a long and happy life without ever sitting through one of this performances again.
Also, can we please stop with the stupid thumbs down games. If we disagree, lets talk about it like mature people and not hide behind anonymous gestures.
Hey Sacred, I don’t know where you live but “Doubt” is coming here to Decatur, Illinois. So maybe there’s hope it’ll come to wherever you are.
Great actor … never seen the guy give a bad performance, but I especially loved his understated work in MAGNOLIA, he was the perfect Lester Bangs in ALMOST FAMOUS and Nate is right about OWNING MAHONY, it’s a great little film more people should see. My folks got to see him on stage in LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT and I envy them for it. Someone buy Phil Hoffman a cheeseburger and put it on my tab!
I saw him perform live this past Saturday. Oh wait, that was Jim Gaffigan.
I don’t think that an actor has to have the range of a cruise missile to be good. If Philip Seymour Hoffmann is good at playing narcissistic losers, then that is why I like him. Some films call for a narcissistic loser and you can’t get much better than him for the role. As for only playing losers, I think that while he wasn’t exactly a “winner” in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, he was certainly more in control for the majority of the movie than Ethan Hawke’s character. I also didn’t see him as a loser in Charlie Wilson’s War or Capote for that matter. He is an overweight, Anti-GQ, sort of actor and he is never going to be believable as the kind of leading man that Russell Crowe or Leonardo DiCaprio play.
There’s a great documentary that IFC put out a while ago called Under the Influence. Most of the directors and actors that participated in the interviews stated the great thing about the cinema of the 1970’s was that the major actors that because enormous stars during that time were mostly people that could be your co-worker or next-door-neighbor. Brando, Newman, Hudson were too physically perfect BUT were very influential to actors of the 70’s like Dustin Hoffman, DeNiro, Pacino, etc…what I like about phillip seymour hoffman is that he really CAN be the guy that lives next door to you AND he’s an amazing actor. I think he shows more diversity in roles that need a realistic feeling like in the Savages, Happiness, Capote, and one of my favorite roles that I find too funny not to laugh, Along Came Polly. I think he takes these ridiculously small roles and makes them great…thats what i like about him so there :P
oh yeah and his character Brandt in Big Lebowski is AMAZING.
Matt Honovic
Just saw Doubt this morning. Philip Seymour Hoffman amazes again. I actually get excited to see him in everything now that he’s no longer a good character actor or “That Guy” – even though every substantial role he has now leads up to a moment of yelling and him putting his hand up as if he’s saying “Enough of this… just shut up!” If you need a point of reference, check out his 1st scene in Charlie Wilson’s War available on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WoZTWuR5D0
Did it again in a moment of frustration in The Savages and his performance in Doubt is just as moving.
And as always, Meryl does her job like no other.