adbny1995 Philip Seymour Hoffman WARNING: I realize that I clearly I have a thing for Mr. Hoffman, but my fan-girl gushing about this movie will not stand without firm fact to support it. In this review, I will center on him and branch out.Oddly enough, I became a Philip Seymour Hoffman fan just one season before he passed away. Not that anyone really cares.. The people in my life are not into movies or actors or TV as much as I am and would likely not be able to remember his face or his name unless he was way more attractive or black or maybe a singer instead of an actor? As much as I wish I had someone who could enjoy his work with me, I true enjoy admiring his talent on my lonesome.Though I am a fan, I haven't seen half of his movies. (But I can count them on 2 hands?) I just really like the ones I have seen. Jack Goes Boating is my favorite one so far. I rented it once, and then later down the line I tried to find it online. I gave up on that and brought a copy on amazon instead. And It was cheap… like $1.50 and soooo worth it for a movie that I just love. Now, I've seen it three times. For me, it was a feel good film for the socially awkward who want hope and perspective of where they can be, the emotionally unstable, abused, thoughtful, passionate, kindhearted and many other varieties of people.The movie was released in 2010, but before that, the stage version of Jack Goes Boating was originally produced by LAByrinth Theater Company in New York City. Hoffman and co-star John Ortiz were co-artistic directors for over ten years. A brief synopsis from IMDb.com: A limo driver's blind date sparks a tale of love, betrayal, friendship, and grace centered around two working-class New York City couples.What I love about this movie is the fact that it sheds light on a great guy who just happens to have a confidence issue. It's a romantic comedy/ drama, and I melt for romance. But its essentially an underdog story. Almost a Wizard of Oz kind-of story. Jack, played by Hoffman, is a very unique man living an average life but lacks a few keys to happiness. The viewers will soon realize that he's the man.There was no acting that stuck out to me as being bad. I suppose that working for so long on the stage really refined them. On the other end of the spectrum, I think Jack's character took a lot of work because its so unusual so I appreciate the out-come. As Jack and Connie (picture above) begin a new relationship, Lucy and Clyde are more like enduring an old one. Daphne Rubin-Vega (who played Mimi in Rent) is Lucy and John Ortiz is Clyde. Vega and Ortiz take your emotions and twist them up, and throw them back at you. Their relationship is relatable for many, and their acting feels seamless. Amy Ryan is Connie. Connie has a pure spirit with speckles of strength and irresistible quirk. Ryan does a good job of portraying Connie as being beautifully delicate. All of the characters are very authentic. Ortiz and Vega were both nominated for "best supporting" awards but unfortunately lost to others in their category. The film it self and the screenplay writer were also nominated for awards the year it was released, but lost.Jack Goes Boating is a slow paced film with dry humor. I realize for a lot of people, this is deal breaker. I didn't even notice until I the second time I watched it. There is a good deal of "open space" matched with explosions of action that both really draw you into the story and create such drama. No matter what, there are big laughs there, but it takes a sharp minded person to pick up on it. It was a joy noticing humor and foreshadowing and style as the movie progressed because it was a challenge to grasp at times. In the end, I just truly appreciated all of it. Also, the music was great. Its always nice to hear good songs that aren't force fed to you on the radio, and the selections had as much soul, captivity, and thought-provoking potential as the characters. There was even a few nice indie songs that I added to my own music play lists after the very first time I saw the film. Lastly, I give props to the production crew for showing parts of NY that are infamous.The play got good reviews in a new York Times article The Zen Art of Life Maintenance (Pass the Bong, Please) in 2007: "This gentle portrait of pothead losers in love is a reminder of how engrossing uneventful existences can be in the hands of the right actors." I agree. For a story about average working class people in NY who smoke pot and live their lives while dreaming about a better time its very charming and surprisingly moving. This is a great film.

ilvevh I like Phillip and was excited to watch this movie but this is my third time attempting to watch this. I give up. It's so slow and uneventful I just fall asleep or get distracted. An annoying thing about this movie was they played an entire album, didn't even bother to be creative and pick a bunch of artists (until they ran out of songs on the album). It was so consistent with the music it felt like I had a CD playing rather than a movie. If you are looking for a nice movie to sit down with and enjoy don't bother with this one. Personally I would find writing the word 'Apple' 10,000 times over and over more exciting. Rating: G'ay out of 10

gradyharp JACK GOES BOATING sneaks up on you. With a very small cast, very little dialogue, slow movement, and stuttered sound this little film slowly unravels a story about reconstructing tenuous lives for two awkward and damaged people who wrongly place their role models in the personas of pathological people. Robert Glaudini wrote the play on which this film is based and then thankfully wrote the screenplay for its transfer to film. Philip Seymour Hoffman produces, directs and stars, and once again proving he is an artist of great dramatic range. Jack (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is an obese, socially inept limousine driver who tunes out the world by wearing earphones to his recorded reggae music. He wants something better, even if that is driving for MTA, but he is buried in the paperwork and bureaucracy. His fellow limo driver is Clyde (Jack Ortiz) who is married to Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega) who works for a mortuary run by Dr Bob (Thomas McCarthy) who gives seminars on life that require telemarketing. There is a very plain new girl telemarketer Connie (Amy Ryan) with deep- seated issues of her own who faces being fired for being inept until a subway altercation increases her fortitude and she starts closing deals in her job. Clyde sets up Jack with Connie but with his lack of relationship skills almost blunders the setup. In the middle of winter Jack promises Connie that they will be dating by summer when Jack can take her boating. Clyde teaches the inept Jack how to swim, Lucy encourages Connie to take Jack seriously, and Jack accidentally promises Connie he will make dinner for her - something that really makes Connie trust Jack and find him desirable. Jack takes cooking lessons from Cannoli (Salvatore Inzerillo -a chef we soon discover Lucy has had affairs with) and with the swimming lessons preparing Jack for boating and the cooking lessons at Lucy and Clyde's apartment (Jack lives in his father's basement with only a hot plate!), the preparations for Jack and Connie to become connected are set. But very soon Jack learns from Clyde that Lucy is unfaithful, Lucy lets Jack know that Clyde has been unfaithful and when the time comes for Jack and Connie to have the 'dinner' with Lucy and Clyde, a volcanic reaction occurs , changing all the preparations in many ways. The interaction of the quartet of players show that life is a series of love, betrayal, friendship and grace. The manner in which the 'teaching couple' and the 'learning couple' find each other is both tender and pathetic - a balance that each of the quartet of players plays with aplomb. Hoffman takes Glaudini's play to new heights and the result is film that is insightful in the say it opens our eyes to the microstories that surround us. Grady Harp

darrhling Seymour-Hoffman's directorial debut is a well-rounded little film about being positive no matter the circumstances; the possibility of a solution at the end of the tunnel and the value of perseverance.Jack Goes Boating relates the tale of four people whose stories are wound together. The premise is simple: one couple throwing a blind date for the other two parties. From this seemingly basic starting point, the characters undergo transformations, all of which are sprinkled with life-lessons and positive philosophy, all the more poignant for its stark backdrop of lower-middle class life. In this sense, there is a feel of La Vita è Bella about it, although admittedly Jack Goes Boating is not quite in the same league as the former.Phillip Seymour-Hoffman pulls off some typically sensational acting, as does Amy Ryan, with a complicated emotional role which she executes very well indeed.All in all, a high-class film, totally worth watching, but not something that leaves you with the feeling it ought to have won Best Picture.(Please take the time to say whether you found this review useful. Thanks.)