The recent news of Philip Seymour Hoffman's death has been upsetting. I was always impressed with Hoffman's ability to immerse himself into different characters and completely disappear into his roles. I've actually seen 14 of his films and he appeared to have many more ahead of him.
At only 46, he was just getting started and had many years of great work
ahead of him. It's always sad to see someone's life get cut short,
especially when they had so much going for them.
As a great character actor, Hoffman really began to get noticed when he started working with
acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson. After appearing in Anderson's
first film, Hard Eight, a great team was formed.
Hoffman ended up appearing in 5 of Anderson's films.
Boogie Nights (1997),
Magnolia (1999),
Punch-Drunk Love (2002), and
The Master (2012) all stand out as great films.
Mostly known for his strong supporting roles, Hoffman proved he could carry a film with his tremendous performance as Truman Capote in
Capote (2005). The film was nominated for 5 Oscars and provided Hoffman with his first nomination and win.
Since his Oscar win in 2005, he's been on a role with 3 more Oscar nominations cementing his status as one of the best actors working today. Besides his nominated work, he's also great in
Moneyball (2011),
Mission Impossible 3 (2006), and
Almost Famous (2000). Simply, this is an actor who was great in everything he did.
The news of his drug problem has been getting a lot of publicity lately. For those criticizing him for it, they simply don't understand the horrors of addiction. Addiction is a terrible disease that affects far too many today. It's a deep struggle that should be helped, not criticized. If this negative attitude towards addiction persists, these people will find it harder and harder to get the help and support they need to overcome it.
One of the best actors working today, Philip Seymour Hoffman was a great talent and will definitely be missed. He will be remembered through his tremendous work on screen and the impact he had in the film industry.
Her is not your typical love story. Mixed with futuristic science fiction elements, some of it may seem strange and unusual. But the deeper you look at it, the more you see that this future isn't that far off. In fact, it has a lot to say about relationships today.
Besides the symbolism with technology, there's also many parallels to long distant relationships. Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson do an an excellent job at making this relationship seem believable.
