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First printed at www.movingpicturesnetwork.com

Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(from the 2010 Sundance Film Festival)

Directed by: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Written by: Bob Glaudini
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin-Vega

Introduced as a “first-time filmmaker” to a full house at Eccles Theatre in Park City, Utah, Philip Seymour Hoffman reminisced about his first visit to Sundance in the 1990s to watch a short film by his friend, director P.T. Anderson (“There Will Be Blood,” “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia”). Later, Hoffman shared with me that he’d shown Anderson and Bennett Miller, who directed him in “Capote,” early stages of his new film “Jack Goes Boating.”

Whatever input he may have received, P.S. Hoffman’s directorial debut is definitely his own in terms of vision and pacing. Showing much of the timing and realism that’s made him one of the most watchable actors of our generation, Hoffman has crafted a slow-burning, cinematic sojourn in which each of his actors finds the space to stand out.

While most of these actors first had the time to develop their roles on stage at New York’s LAByrinth Theater Company, a change in directors (Peter Dubois helmed the stage version) has brought nuances in the onscreen relationships that play out with added intimacy. The forum of film has also enabled each to present his or her persona in real environments, interacting with truth rather than set representations and thus helping imbue “Jack Goes Boating” with a sensitivity that real lives are playing out before us.

Hoffman’s Jack is a reggae-loving, partially dread-headed loner who is lucky to have love around him in the form of family (Jack’s uncle, Frank, who owns the limousine service at which there’s always a place for him) and friendship (fellow limo driver Clyde).

Clyde (John Ortiz) and Jack each provide an ear to the other’s hopes and modest dreams. And while Clyde shares the trials and tribulations of his long-term relationship with Lucy (the wonderful Daphne Rubin-Vega), he is also hopeful that he can set Jack up with Connie (Amy Ryan), his wife’s loveable walking catastrophe of a work colleague.

Ortiz’s confident-yet-crumbling Clyde is a mesmerizing, multilayered study. Those not involved in the New York theater scene could have noticed Ortiz in small parts in big movies like “Miami Vice,” “American Gangster,” “Fast & Furious” and “Public Enemies,” and it is a pleasure to watch him play out a full character arc in Hoffman’s highly engaged ensemble.

Amy Ryan’s Connie is similarly satisfying. Known for her Oscar-nominated performance in another first-time director’s flick, Ben Affleck’s “Gone Baby Gone,” as well as the role of Dominic West’s long-suffering girlfriend in HBO’s richly rewarding “The Wire,” the actress is fast becoming a go-to for portraying real women with a heart of gold.

Throughout the film, there is tangible audience empathy for Connie and Jack, which sells us their story and buys our interest in their traditional courtship. It is for Connie that Jack learns to swim so that they can go boating in the summer. It is for Connie that Jack learns to cook so that he can prepare a meal for her. It is for Connie that Jack buys a stuffed toy koala to make her feel loved and protected when the world attacks her.

The film is small in both cast and stature, and is sure to collect critical nods for its performances and professionalism. In relation to the myriad roles in Hoffman’s oeuvre, his work in “Jack Goes Boating” deserves space on the shelf alongside other notable roles in films like Tamara Jenkins’ “The Savages,” Sidney Lumet’s “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” and Todd Louiso’s “Love Liza.”

As a limousine driver, Hoffman’s Jack is a conduit for other people who go places and live life more fully. As a director, Hoffman offers the same vehicle, enabling his characters to experience a fuller journey while bringing his audience to a final destination more meaningful than its beginning.

Photo by KC Bailey; (c) 2009 Big Beach Films LLC and Overture Films, LLC