Philip Seymour Hoffman's directorial debut (and, of course, only effort as director) is a small indie flick based on an off-Broadway play (written by Robert Glaudini) in which he starred. He plays it very safe in both his direction and acting, but the results are pretty satisfying. Hoffman plays Jack, a man who has zero experience with relationships. His best friends (John Ortiz and Daphne Rubin-Vega) set him up with Amy Ryan. She likes him fine, but Jack finds he has very little to say to her. He decides to make himself a better man by learning to cook and swim (two of the interests she mentions on their first date). Jack is a pretty typical Hoffman character. In particular, he reminded me of Scotty from Boogie Nights. Ryan is good, but the script really doesn't give her much character. Ortiz and Rubin-Vega, playing a married couple who are having some troubles, are fairly interesting. Hoffman opens up the stage origins, and the film actually looks quite nice, especially during the swimming sequences, which have some nice underwater photography. I suspect most, or maybe all of the play takes place in Ortiz's and Rubin-Vega's apartment, where most of the biggest scenes in the movie take place. The film's worth seeking out.
Review of Jack Goes Boating
Jack Goes Boating
(2010)
A small, pretty good film that showed Hoffman had a talent as director
23 February 2014