By Sara Pintilie/entertainment editor
The Savages (4.5 stars)
What makes The Savages such an unforgettable film is the bittersweet comedic twist to the dysfunctional family.
Though this film reads like many dark horses, the quirky humor and the performances from Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman bring the film to life.
Siblings Jon (Hoffman) and Wendy (Linney) Savage travel to Arizona after their father Lenny (Philip Bosco) is kicked out of his residence.
Jon leaves much of the caretaking of their father, who is diagnosed with dementia, to his bratty younger sister as he looks for a nursing home.
Jon and Wendy deal with their demons as they live together. They confront not only present problems, such as Wendy’s fling with a married man or Jon’s workaholic attitude, but also with their past as they aid their once abusive father.
As the film progresses, their father’s health dwindles but Wendy stumbles across a road to self discovery.
Wendy is the main show in this theater of the absurd, and Linney downright sparkles. Her simple attitude is endearing even if she tends to get on the audience’s nerves.
Hoffman is great in everything he does, and his performance isn’t any different here. He has a fantastic sense of restraint that makes him one of the greatest actors out there today.
This black comedy is priceless.
The Savages is a film to remember for years to come, and the audience will not doubt Linney’s Oscar nomination.
