• A sharply written black comedy—with moments of levity in some incredibly dour circumstances (dealing with a father with dementia)
  • Nominations for Laura Linney’s performance and Tamara Jenkins screenplay—if you add Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance those are the three things to praise here—incredibly rich characterizations- these are real people–Travers calls the two leads “acting giants” and he’s right
  • Intellectual references- Sam Shepard and von Sternberg vs. von Stroheim references
  • Petting the dog during sex
  • Stinging dialogue—very east coast—“we’re taking better care of him than he ever did of us” and PSH’s speech about death—which of course is lifted by laughter in the moments after as an older woman is show by the camera to have witnessed it— aghast of course— Linney ripping the red pillow away from an elderly woman
  • Zoe Kazan pops up in PSH’s class (again PSH plays a teacher like 25th Hour) to ask the difference between plot and narrative- haha
  • Recommend