If it had maintained the quality of its first twenty minutes, this film might deserve the good reviews; but without any real plot to speak of, a muddy tone, behind the beat editing and by-the-munbers camera work, it required the quality of the acting (especially Phillip Seymour Hoffman who really seems to be hitting his fantastic, egoless stride) to keep this thing watchable. Bad title.

An interesting exploration of the issues that arise from broken families and aging parents. While it was a "good" film I had a hard time totally losing myself in the story. It had the feel of a play that could have been done on stage in limbo lightin...(read more)g. The characters are supposed to be smart and funny but a lot of the dialogue sounded like quirky snippets of "meaningful" or "sharp" quips you get in plays that are not written by Allen, Mamet or Miller. Well, maybe Mamet. PSH does his best "I can shuffle around, unshaven and deliver dialogue without moving my lips" work. And Linney looks better than ever doing the nervous bird bit. While the cast does fine work, I was a bit put off by the casting of almost every character. Having said all that, The Savages is a worthy entry into the "dysfunctional family-modern people who can't manage relationships" genre. Despite its problems, I laughed and cried. The eggs made me sad.... you'd have to see it to understand.… Expand

A depressing look at a depressing subject. Ignore all references to "comedy" or "funny" or you will be misled. Beautifully acted, of course. Putting Laura Linney in a dark wig was a big mistake. And will someone please buy the DP a tripod!

Pitch-perfect screenplay, and three performances to die for. Though Hoffman and Linney have received a lot of well-deserved credit, Bosco, playing the father, is their equal in every scene they share. Not always an easy movie to watch, but the characters will linger with you well after the credits roll.

This film was one of the worst I've ever seen... bleak, depressing, boring, interminable. The 2 cute quips in the trailer are all you get ... Linney's a pathetic whiner, Hoffman is perfect but the character so flawed you don't give a damn, and I'd have let the father rot in the nursing home w/o a second thought. Yuk.

Great acting. Great characters. It's a depressing story that anyone with elderly parents will unfortunately relate too. It's as entertaining as a movie about growing old, feeble, and terminal can be.

The acting was okay, but the movie was depressing and didn't leave me feeling anything different then before I came in.

This movie will mean more to people who have experienced the nursing home option with their own parent(s). It handles the difficult subjects well and honestly, but does not deliver on the true difficulty a senior experiences in a nursing home. The father adapted to the nursing home too gracefully and died too quickly. I hope to one day see an honest portrayal of the nursing home experience, including its impact on the "client" and his family. This film tries and succeeds on many levels, which is why I rate it a six. I also recommend "With Honors". Joe Pesci and Brendon Frazer really drive the eldercare issue home. The ending of The Savages is interesting to say the least. Without blowing the ending, I'll just say that guilt plays a interesting role in Linney's decision.… Expand

The leads played their roles extremely well and even with the grit and misfortune among the characters (making for more than a few wince inducing moments) it felt real and the filmmaker gets the laughs honestly. With an ending that could be perceived as sentimental and feel-good, it's most deserved. An amazing movie - it's hard to believe that an American filmmaker can do this.

Two great actors, a fantastic script, tight narrative and no bullshit sentimentality: What's not to like?

Painfully honest and heartbreakingly real, The Savages is not a comedy, nor is it a black comedy but a beautifully acted drama with an occasional uncomfortable laugh. Linney and Hoffman portray the best screen bother/sister since Linney worked the same magic with Mark Ruffalo in You Can Count On Me. Tamara Jenkins has written and directed a touching script without the usual sentimentality that usually gets these pictures made. After this and Away From Her, I wonder what Rob Reiner was thinking when he made Bucket List!… Expand

Awesome. Just great story telling. Also, don't be afraid to see it, it's not too sad.

Wallows in the grunge of everyday pain without the necessary drama to elevate the action. Dirty countertops, scarred lives, and a nursing home that doesn't look as soiled as it might. Real life has more tang.

If Jon(Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and Wendy(Laura Linney) Savage weren't academics from opposite spectrums in the English profession, a harmless comment like, "Where is it?" pertaining to a couch obscured by clutter, would pass by unnoticed. It would just simply be the case of a sister making an offhanded comment to her messy brother. But because they are, this remark is actually quite loaded. She's jealous. She helps move his books out of hostility. Wendy is a creative writer(she has a M.F.A.), while Jon has a background in comparative literature. An ordinary person may dabble in playwriting, but nobody(no sane person) dabbles in English theory; so it goes that Jon is the intellectual heavyweight. Jon may love his baby sister, but familial ties can only soften, not eliminate, his ostentatious disposition towards people on the other side of the English divide. Look closely at what Jon does in his classroom with that piece of chalk. He's effectively tearing Wendy's craft apart, limb from limb with a single flat line. In another scene, Wendy says, "It's like we don't exist," when she and Jon leave their father's retirement home. This remark, on a deeper level, refers to French literary critic Roland Barthes' essay, "Death of the Author", which encourages the reader to "separate a literary work from its creator in order to liberate it from interpretive tyranny." Applied to a film about angry children who blame their father(Phillip Bosco) for an array of dysfunctionalities, "The Savages" doesn't necessarily side with Jon and Wendy. Maybe a post-structuralist would tell the Savage children to get over themselves and grow up.… Expand

Likely most enjoyed by those who've walked this walk; I'd hoped for more dark comedy, but many of the attempts fell flat, not sure why -- timing? editing? But fine performances, interesting plot line, real character development and realistic characters (except for the Dad's character, which was a little two dimensional).

Bound to be a good watch with two of America's most talented actors at work. It is essentially about the performers, but the story does have something to sat about life and death in the lightest and funniest of ways and there are some true and funny moments.

Real life is simply not this relentlessly bleak unless you work at it very hard. Phllip Seymour Hoffman was the highlight, bringing what bits of humor there were, though his character was the least involved. The best I can say about Laura Linney was that she was convincingly unlikeable. Except on rare occasions where she was unconvincingly unlikeable--as when she wrestled a pillow out of the embrace of a wheelchair bound elderly woman, or told her brother a whopper befitting an 8 year old. When I saw the film, about 3/4 of the way into the picture an old man in the back yelled out that this was a stupid move. Right there with ya brother. A friend and I who suffered through the Squid and the Whale and both consider it one of the most unpleasant and pointless movies we have ever sat through (albeit well acted) use that as landmark for measuring how bad a movie is. This was slightly better than Squid and Whale.… Expand

I must have missed something. I love both actors, but did not see what all of the fuss is about. Story is flat and unreedeming. The actors make it watchable.

I adore this film. Brutal yet beautiful with some utterly hilarious moments, The Savages is deeply affecting in its unnerving honesty. I had tears running down my cheeks while also emitting some of the deepest belly laughs I've ever experienced in a cinema. I can't recommend it highly enough.

What a great movie! The mood was absolutely top notch and I just cant love Seymour Hoffman more now. This is life .

Exceptionally well acted by everyone in the cast. The writing is excellent and the direction is solid. Good score. A moving story, believably told. Excellent.

A mildly interesting failure of a film that aims to depict 2 "realistic" adult characters suddenly faced with taking care of their elder father. The tone of the film is almost constantly off kilter. Sure I get the few dark comic moments but those scenes arent that clever or memorable. Meanwhile most of the film is unrelentingly depressing. The lead actors do a fine job but it really doesnt matter. The film is a pointless bore with a too-easy ending.… Expand

I expected a witty, biting, Noah Baumbach kind of movie. I was very disappointed. I found it droning, tedious, and Laura Linney downright annoying.

Given the subject matter this could've easily been a depressing affair, however, in Jenking delicate hands "Savages" makes for a warm, intricate journey into adulthood. Hoffman and Linney are absolutely superb. Great film!

I found it interesting that the film did not take the easy path of spelling out all the gory details of the father's abusive past. Rather, we experience the sometimes-stressed but enduring bond between brother and sister, and observe that they retain enough humanity to (a) make their way in life and (b) find some mercy for their father despite everything. One complaint: Yet another crappy wig in a movie! What, Linney can't dye her hair brown for a few months?… Expand

A little too real life. Boring and forgettable everyday life. What was the point? I can't believe I stayed awake through the whole one note lull of a sleeper.

The first two-thirds or so of "The Savages" is mesmerizing. Unforgettable. The last third or so, Tamara Jenkins makes things too easy for herself, which ends up bringing the film a little back down to earth. Philip Bosco's performance is one of the best that I have ever seen in my life. Highly recommended. Be sure to note that this is much more of a "drama" than a "comedy."

It had several points to make and made them well. Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Philip Bosco were superb.

One of my favorite movies..it's a comedy that actually has emotion..(which is something some of the film community lacks nowadays) ..Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman give tremendous preformences and their chemistry on the screen just works...Philip Bosco is also a breath of fresh air as their hostile father put into a retirement home...i just love this movie

Painful to watch at times; sobering. Wonderfully acted. A terrific story.

Mediocre, predictable, god-awfully sincere writing almost drowns three fine actors.

Hoffman was his usual fantastic self, and thats about it. Really dull, boring movie, worth it only for the rather witty theatre references. Avoid, unless you want to sleep