DVD Review: Philip Seymour Hoffman Directs ‘Jack Goes Boating’

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly versionE-mail page to friendE-mail page to friendPDF versionPDF version
No votes yet

CHICAGO – There are few character actors in the history of cinema more mesmerizing and fearless than Philip Seymour Hoffman. He’s created some of the most memorable characters ever to grace the screen: from the sexually arrested Allen in “Happiness” and the obsessed playwright Caden Cotard in “Synecdoche, New York” to the electrifying title role in “Capote.”

His brilliant acting career obviously caused the excitement surrounding his feature filmmaking debut to be more than mildly palpable. Yet “Jack Goes Boating” is an unexpectedly benign morsel, with bittersweet tones reminiscent of Jeff Garlin’s equally “Marty”-like, “I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With.” Hoffman’s sweet, shy, schlubby-looking protagonist sports a nearly childlike naïveté that’s as lovable as it is disconcerting.

HollywoodChicago.com DVD Rating: 3.0/5.0
DVD Rating: 3.0/5.0

Based on Bob Glaudini’s play of the same name, the film centers on the hesitant romance that begins to blossom between two lost souls in New York City. Jack (Hoffman) is a natural born caregiver, yet he can barely take care of himself. He luckily has a devoted friend, Clyde (John Ortiz), who’s eager to teach him how to cook, swim, dress and prepare himself for the pain of relationships. Clyde and his wife Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega) set Jack up with the equally kind-hearted yet socially awkward Connie (Amy Ryan). Their scenes together fall just this side of “American Splendor” territory, as Connie finds herself unable to halt jarringly blunt thoughts from tumbling out of her mouth, causing Jack to utter “Oh gawd…” like a pained Greek chorus. Ryan is marvelously gifted at playing women whose desires are as ambiguous as their subtle facial nuances (her hypnotic turn in season 3 of “In Treatment” proved this in spades). It’s unclear what Connie sees in Jack, apart from his unthreatening demeanor. Hoffman is quietly touching in scenes where he simply observes her with a gentle reverence, such as when he cheers her up with some reggae music (provided by Clyde).

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Ryan star in Hoffman’s Jack Goes Boating.
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Ryan star in Hoffman’s Jack Goes Boating.
Photo credit: Anchor Bay Entertainment

The curious flaw in “Jack” is the fact that its supporting characters are far more compelling than its leads. Ortiz and Rubin-Vega dominate the picture to such a degree that they cause Hoffman and Ryan to fade into the background during the final act. This is partly because their characters are more sharply drawn and (dare I say?) adult. In a haunting monologue, Ortiz tells Hoffman about the sorts of indiscretions and betrayals couples must look beyond in order to maintain a long term relationship. Clyde’s love life is in the process of ending while Jack’s is just beginning, though Ortiz is ultimately the film’s life force. Hoffman seems more interested in exploring the character he originated onstage in front of the camera instead of developing a cinematic vision for telling the story. Regardless, the film is still handsomely lensed by W. Mott Hupfel III, and includes music from Fleet Foxes, DeVotchKa and the indie-sensation Grizzly Bear (also featured in “Blue Valentine”) that greatly enhance the film’s poignant, lyrical atmosphere.

Jack Goes Boating was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on Jan. 18, 2011.
Jack Goes Boating was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on Jan. 18, 2011.
Photo credit: Anchor Bay Entertainment

“Jack Goes Boating” is presented in its 1.85.1 aspect ratio, and includes two brief featurettes. Production designer Thérèse DePrez discusses how she went about looking for obscure New York locations that offered a more grounded view of the city. She also made sure to find apartments that were small and felt lived-in, as opposed to the spacious penthouses populated by many a Hollywood protagonist. There are also a few momentary glimpses of stills from the original stage production. Hoffman said he wanted to find ways of opening up the film by adding locations and characters that were merely mentioned in the play (a prime example would be Lucy’s lover, “Cannoli”). Rubin-Vega cites one major change in the stage-to-screen adaptation: while there appeared to be more hope for Clyde and Lucy in the play, there’s an “urgent need” for them to change in the film, leading to an ending more bittersweet than resoundingly uplifting. Hoffman’s preference for melancholy subject matter certainly was apparent last year in his Goodman Theatre directorial debut, “The Long Red Road.” Yet Hoffman never explores repressed pain simply for the sake of being downbeat. His ending simply feels more honest.

The disc also includes two amusing deleted scenes set on a subway train, where Ryan ends up delivering her funniest line in the picture. After being hit on by yet another creep, Ryan scares him off by describing her day-job: “I massage the dead.” Such a moment makes me hopeful that Hoffman may one day helm a comedy with more laughs than sighs.

‘Jack Goes Boating’ is released by Anchor Bay Entertainment and stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Tom McCarthy and Salvatore Inzerillo. It was written by Bob Glaudini and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was released on Jan. 18, 2011. It is rated R.

HollywoodChicago.com staff writer Matt Fagerholm

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

User Login

Free Giveaway Mailing

TV, DVD, BLU-RAY & THEATER REVIEWS

Advertisement



HollywoodChicago.com on Twitter

archive

HollywoodChicago.com Top Ten Discussions
referendum
tracker