The amazing thing about this movie is Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance. I don't know how I continue to be pleasantly surprised by Mr. Hoffman's work, but he is one of the few prodigious actors who gives you something different every time. What makes Hoffman so great is that he takes a mediocre, run of the mill independent film, that is so run of the mill it is almost a stereotype, but you can't turn off the movie and half way into it I ackinowledged that it was the genius of Hoffman that kept me watching. This film was promoted with the promise that it might do for Hoffman's career what Leaving Las Vegas did for Nicholas Cage. Ironically, it hasn't and it won't. I say ironically because Hoffman is a far better actor than Nick Cage, but Cage is marketable, and he is also related to a living legend in Francis Ford. I liken Hoffman's performance to that of De Niro in Taxi Driver, not because it's as big of a performance, but the roles are night and day, I make the comparison because it is the intensity and charisma that breathes life into an otherwise worthless and lackluster character. Kathy Bates turns in an average performance in an average role. Ms. Bates is too good for the part, but so is Hoffman, and as great as Bates is Hoffman shines that much brighter. The only other thing worth noting is that Lisa Rinzler is the cinematographer for the film. Rinzler was featured on the brilliant documentary Visions of Light, but there is nothing extraordinary about the photography. Then again, neither was there anything extraordinary about the film other than Hoffman's performance. Watch this film if you want to see what a great actor can do with a mediocre role or if you just love Phillip Seymour Hoffman, but if that was the case you would have watched it already.
