The Savages (2007)

Philip Seymor Hoffman is, by far, one of my favorite actors. In The Savages (2007), directed by Tamara Jenkins, he plays the son of a man who is suddenly diagnosed with dementia. Hoffman's offbeat, subdued performance, in an otherwise offbeat film, is nothing short of brilliant (Laura Linney, who plays his sister, is not as good, but her performance gets better towards the end of the movie, I think). All in all, the film is a moving potrayal of people who take care of their aging parents, who have to make decisions they might not want to take. The film really brings out what it is like to be thrown into new & scary situations. What makes this film special, aside from the warm & humane treatment of the story, which rings true, is the combination of music and cinematography. The pictures are, I would say, very clean (for some reason I come to think of some Todd Haynes films), the effect of which is an almost serene atmosphere. The music draws on the same emotions - the soundtrack consists of some classical music, but also a song from the threepenny opera opera - Hoffman's character is a Brecht researcher. There are many reasons for watching this movie.