David A believable, albeit tongue in cheek look at how a busy and somewhat estranged brother and sister have to come together to interface with the cold hard reality of their father's sudden decline. Some exquisite little bits of absurdity tucked in its pockets, which anyone who has been through such an experience will appreciate the hell out of. When you're in such a situation, everything is turned upside down and inside out. It's like emotional rape, and finding the humour in it is sweet relief indeed. The film plays with how this kind of situation plays out in the real world, with people tied up in jobs and in different places. The conflict of necessary pragmatism VS sentimentality. What care and compassion the person needs offset against how good a parent they were. The cold perfunctory chain of profiteers waiting to take their cut every step of the way. A shockingly dehumanising and disrespectful process that criminalises children and humiliates parents. It's wrong on so many levels and when you come to have to deal with it you can't help but be disturbed by it. It's the great shame of the western world, how we treat our elderly in deference to capitalist demands. So I think it's good that people are making films about this subject. It's the best thing I've seen Laura Linney in. Her character is such a delicious bag of clumsy contrasts. Sometimes strong and independent, other times regressing(as Hoffman's character puts it at one point) into the little sister/daughter. But always lovable and hilarious. Some of the gestures and looks from her and Hoffman throughout this are priceless. Superbly acted and directed and written. I wish these people made all my movies. Well these kind of movies anyway. I know it's an over-used phrase but I firmly believe this is an under- rated little gem.

lasttimeisaw Tamara Jenkins' breakthrough indie drama-comedy THE SAVAGES, surprisingly captured 2 Oscar nominations back in 2008 , one for the unmistakably excellent Laura Linney and a BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY nomination for herself, so freshly coined as an Oscar nominee and subsequently granted the membership of the academy , allegedly her next project should be on the horizon at any time, nevertheless, as a telling manifest of the shameful situation of female directors in the movie industry, 8 years has passed, we still have no news of Tamara's follow-up to her excellent work, a life-affirming dissection of the worst-case scenario for (almost) every grown-up - how to fulfil our responsibility, when we must become the caretaker of our aging parents during their last days. Linney and the late Hoffman are siblings Wendy and Jon Savage, she is an amateur playwright and he is a college professor, so both are intellectuals and unmarried, reaching 40, Wendy is still stuck in a dead-end extramarital affair with Larry (Friedman), a 52-year-old married man, who is jollily content with the status quo. Jon, her elder brother 3 years senior, on the other hand, is ending a three-year relationship with her Polish lover Kasia (Seymour), whose visa is about to expire and he has no intention to marry her. If one is solely reading those background information on paper, both Wendy and Jon are not personable characters. Besides, they are not so close to their father Lenny (Bosco, in his fine but irritating persona as a curmudgeon), who is not protected by Common Law Marriage after his long-time girlfriend died and himself is afflicted with dementia and an ailing health, so now it is now the siblings to take care of their deteriorating father. Neither or them can afford to attend to Lenny by themselves, thus some grating words like assisted living, nursing home or rehabilitation centre are dropping by as default, but Lenny is not exactly a mellow old geezer, the film opens with his stomach-churning fecal revenge as one might expect in a slasher horror, the parent-child rapport is never the aim to be soppily achieved by Jenkins' sincerely matter-of-fact script. More importantly, under the dysfunctional family troupe, the storyline steadily builds a re-connection between the two siblings, from the unspoken competition for grants, the guilt-shifting mind-game, to a tacit feeling when Lenny eventually drops dead peacefully, this is what is happening everyday to ordinary people, no "how could this happen to me!" overcompensating drama or "I can't believe it!" emotional wreck, Jenkins is act of genius in singling out the golden touches out of a real-life scenario, and the unexpectedly rosy ending brings about so much hope using just a little gesture, one single scene, to cogently affirm her talent in theatrics. It is no wonder that both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney represent the elite of their peers in Hollywood, together, they are so harmonious with each other's presence while their differences in personality are potently exhibited through their interactions: he is pedantic, aloof but sensible, she is more emotional, ambivalent in her life orbit, and a tad naive, both tainted with some snobbishness from their sophisticated literature background. Their dialogues are spontaneous but scintillating with bons mots and when there are no words needed, the coordination between them can be equally enjoyable to behold. As my said statement, they are not quite likable at first glance, but our judgement will evolve with the story development, when we cruise into the coda, we can all more or less identify ourselves in them, these are two sterling performance equipped with blood and flesh, but as always, LEADING ACTOR race is so packed in 2007, only Linney pounces into my Top 10 LEADING ACTRESS chart, also it is a cruel reminder for me, another superb Hoffman's performance has been crossed out from my watch-list. Finally, I must hail unyieldingly for this under-appreciated indie fare, it enlightens us enormously in how to be a good person, a good son/daughter, and how to correctly face our filial responsibility without being overwhelmed by our own senses of guilt and fear, also hope soon there will be some scoop of Tamara Jenkins' next project, an eight-year gap has already been criminally too long.

dierregi The Savages is a tough movie. It deals with unpleasant themes such as mediocrity, failed relationships and taking care of aging relatives who did not do a good job at parenting. The results are excellent, thanks to the outstanding cast and script.It starts on a sarcastic note, with dad Lenny Savage (a great Philip Bosco) behaving badly in sunny Arizona. Lenny is an unpleasant old man, spending his retirement in a senior-only community. When his female companion dies suddenly, we learn that they were not married and that the house belonged to her. The woman's children want Lenny out ASAP, so his two estranged children, Wendy and Jon (equally great Linney and Seymour Hoffman) must come and take him back to the East Coast, where they live.Also due to their difficult childhood – only hinted at - Wendy and Jon have issues of their own, such as being unable to have healthy, long terms relationships. Wendy is involved in a dispassionate affair with a married man and Jon cannot commit to his long-term Polish girlfriend who must leave the US before being deported. The siblings have a strained relationship of their own, fed on the frustration of having both literary ambitions, but holding mundane jobs.The movie develops their relationship nicely, as the only metaphorical ray of sunshine in an otherwise frosty and desolate landscape. Despite the abuse they suffered at the hands of Lenny and a mother who just "left", they try to do their best to care for their hostile, demented dad, who does not show a shred of gratitude. The movie has a sort of melancholic humour and even manages to end with a much needed uplifting note. Definitely top-class film-making for discerning audiences.

Red_Identity The Savages is a very nuance and quiet little film about the journey of two siblings in taking care of their father. It is very well-made, with great cinematography and use of lighting, and the music score is very limited and quiet and only used in poignant scenes. It is very much a character film and study. Both Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman have great chemistry and deliver two great performances representing their flawed characters. I am surprised at the label as a comedy though. I did think it had a few moments of subtle humor but I wouldn't call it a dramedy at all, and for those expecting an indie film that balanced both drama and comedy in a Juno type of way will probably be disappointed. Instead, The Savages relies in the smooth direction, good writing, and great acting to deliver it's message.