The frequent outbursts of comedy help alleviate a tone thats appropriately muted and sad, and Jenkins should be credited for refusing to tack smiley-faces onto a tough, possibly lose-lose situation. Tamara Jenkins returns with a story that squarely addresses the concerns of middle age, treating them with the gravity they deserve but also the forbearance and humor they often demand. The Savages dvd If any film comedy prior to The Savages so fully earns the characterization painfully funny, Id like to know about it. It could almost be accused of middle-class whining — something Linneys character frets about — if not for its sharply observant conversations and strikingly personal performances. There are resonant moments of elderly vulnerability and strong acting from Hoffman and Bosco, but Linneys overly familiar exasperated-woman performance and Jenkins been-there, done-that-better story sink The Savages. Tamara Jenkins’s The Savages is a beautifully nuanced tragicomedy about two floundering souls.
Apr 30