Review - The Savages

Studio/Production Company: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Director: Tamara Jenkins
Written by: Tamara Jenkins
Rating: R for some sexuality and language
Release Date: November 28, 2007 (theatrical), April 22, 2008 (DVD)
Genre: Comedy-drama
Strong Points: Terrific script and directing by Jenkins; Hoffman and Linney both deliver excellent performances.
Weak Points: None
Technical Score: A
Artistic Score: A
Final Score (not an average): A+
Moral Warnings: A brief sex scene is shown (no nudity); part of the plot involves a character having an affair; mild language throughout including several F-words.

It is difficult to define exactly what The Savages is. Tamara Jenkins approaches the content of the film with surprising honesty at all moments; there is no need for imagination to plausibly accept what is being shown on the screen. She writes a story that could easily have had more Hollywood comedy or more Hollywood drama, and there are many places where either would naturally seem to fit. But, instead, she decides to take an alternate and somewhat unexpected path.

The Savages is focused on the relationship of two adult siblings, Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Wendy (Laura Linney). Though what happened in the past is never demonstrated, Jenkins subtly reveals to her audience that Jon and Wendy's father was abusive to them when they were children. It is clear that this abuse has tainted all their relationships in painful ways, and not just in the context of the family. Wendy is having an affair with a much older married man. Jon is breaking up with his girlfriend of three years simply because her visa is expiring. But when they are told that their father is running out of time, they are forced to come back together. The rest of the film is about how these two siblings interact with each other and their dying father.

It is here that Jenkins takes her alternative path. Every camera shot, every line of dialogue is rooted in reality. The moments of humor, such as an extended scene wherein Hoffman wears a ridiculous contraption to help relieve tension in his neck, do not come across as intentional jokes. Indeed, there are few laugh-out-loud instances. The humor is there because it can be related to by everyone. The same is true in moments of drama (though they aren't dramatic by any means). The brokenness between these two siblings can be felt and, by many of us, remembered. Their relationship doesn't magically improve as they take care of their father. It struggles along slowly, painfully, with battles won and lost, as is the case with all tainted relationships in life.

The Savages is rated R, mostly for an occasional F-word and a brief sex scene that is devoid of any nudity. But the content is never more than it needs to be (I have to admit that I was very pleased with how little there was visually in the aforementioned scene). The sister Wendy is involved in an affair through the film, and there is mention to the siblings father being physically abusive when they were children.

Jenkins writes a sad, reflective story about broken sibling relationships that avoids all Hollywood comedy and drama cliches. Her story speaks the truth, whether or not it is easy to accept. This is magical in and of itself, and makes The Savages a rare gem of filmmaking.

-Zak Mellgren (zak@revolve21.com)