Jack Goes Boating

USA 2010, 91 minutes
Dir. Philip Seymour Hoffman
Rating: [M] Violence, offensive language, drug use and sexual references.
Genres: Drama / Romance

Topics: Mid-life.

Feat. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, Tom McCarthy, Daphne Rubin-Vega

Aroview: Philip Seymour Hoffman makes his directorial debut with this simple, affecting drama of a lonely limo driver’s quest for love and self-improvement.

Hoffman doesn’t exactly move beyond the boundaries of his sad sack, middle-aged screen persona – nor the indie cinema tradition of damaged, anti-social individuals finding their way in the world – however, the sensitive scripting (based on a stageplay) and honest, unassuming cast of character actors (including the underrated John Ortiz and Amy Ryan) offsets an otherwise nagging familiarity. All in all, a tender, plainspoken romance that rewards without being remarkable.