Hey folks, Harry here with a first time review from Jondough who took a look at LOVE LIZA. This sounds like a very good sounding film. I'm a huge Phillip Seymour Hoffman, in fact I'm watching him in MAGNOLIA right now here at Geek Headquarters, and would love to see him in this film immediately after. Here ya go...

Hey all. Spending 4 days in Utah, at just over 5,000 feet above sea level, will mess with the mind of anyone, let alone if you’re a 23 year old from Manhattan. It’s not so much the altitude as it is that everyone’s from…Utah. They’re nice. Almost annoyingly nice. At some point on day 3, I had the sudden realization that the saying "shove it" might not exist in every city. I say all that to preface how I got in to see Todd Louiso’s new (and debut) film, "Love Liza."

Apparently, having a ticket before you go to a premiere at Sundance is a good idea. Well, pardon my ignorance. Apparently, arriving 15 minutes before showtime is a good way to get made fun of (by the non-Utahians, of course). But I knew something those LDS-mockers didn’t. If you stand looking sad for long enough, somebody will sneak you in. And, voila, I found myself sitting in the Park City Library, preparing to view Philip Seymour Hoffman’s latest performance.

"Love Liza" is an extraordinary film. Hoffman plays Wilson Joel, whom we first meet returning from his wife’s memorial service. We later find out that Liza, Wilson’s wife, took her own life in the couple’s enclosed garage, inhaling the toxic fumes. Her suicide destroys Wilson, as well as her mother, played by Kathy Bates, especially as there are no explanations. They both attempt to grapple with the reasons behind Liza’s suicide, neither able to truly come to terms with the fact that she is gone.

To go any further into the details of the plot would be a disservice to the film, so I’ll simply say that gasoline-huffing, model-airplane flying, road-tripping and mother-in-law breaking and entering all come in to play. Louiso (Chad, the ‘Child Technician’ in Jerry Maguire), in his feature film debut, shows that he’ll have quite a career in the coming years. He uses silence here to such great effect, I kept wondering why it’s not used more often. Michael Bay…are you listening? (probably not, as your ear drums are still bleeding from watching Pearl Harbor) In showing us the hell that is Wilson’s depression, Louiso sucks us in to not only sympathizing with, but understanding Wilson’s choices, however sad they may be. The scene when Wilson eventually finds the suicide note from his wife, and the scenes immediately following, are among the most powerful.

The script, written by Gordy Hoffman (Philip’s older brother), painfully and accurately conveys the sorrow and confusion that follows when a loved one takes their own life. The script mixes humor and wit with the pain that Wilson feels, making us feel that this isn’t just a story, but that it’s real. These are real people, who use laughter as a release, who cry when realizing that they’ll never see their wife/daughter again, who scream when all that’s required is a simple ‘no’. It’s a truly powerful piece of writing.

Kathy Bates performance as Liza’s mom will probably earn her another Academy Award nom next year for Best Supporting Actress (she’s as good as the always is), but this film belongs to Philip Seymour Hoffman. His performance is absolutely brilliant. Heartbreaking, devastatingly funny, brutal, depressing, joyful. February of next year, he’ll find himself the frontrunner in the Oscar race. I could go on, but I won’t. If for no other reason, see the film for his performance (which is what I’m sure the distributor will market the heaviest, anyway).

I had the privilege to speak to each of the three main players in the film, and they all were incredibly gracious and excited that the film was as well-received as it was. They’ve made a film that doesn’t glorify suicide, but shows the reality of what happens after the act is done. They people that are ultimately and permanently hurt by that choice.

This film deserves to be seen. For the way it so gracefully tells the story of a man dealing with the totally unexpected loss of his wife at her own hands. For the way we understand how much is at stake if he discovers the reasons she did it (What if he’s responsible? What if there is no explanation? What if…). For the way that ultimately, there may not be any answers, but that life still continues. Most of all, for Phil. It’s the best performance I saw at Sundance, and may be the best performance I saw all year.

-Jondough

PS…’Run Ronnie Run’ is the funniest movie I’ve seen in 5 years. Amazing. Go see it. Just go. Now. No really, it’s not just for guys. Okay, mostly for guys, but still…it’s fantastic.

PPS... One side-note. Only in Park City, during the month of January, can you stand in line with your bag of Fritos and a tooth-brush at your local 7-11 and have Christina Ricci standing in front of you (she's looking fantastic these days, by the by) and John Malkovich behind you (is it bad that all I wanted to do was yell 'Malkovich!' again and again?). Can't wait to go back next year...