The Savages

Initially, The Savages does not feel particularly special. The heavy tehmes channel that all-too-familiar vibe of emotional family dramas, while the characters' almost comical squabbles suggest the film might be destined to end up on that ever-growing pile of quirky indie comedies. The strength of The Savages, however, lies in its ability to play up to both these images at once; serving up refreshingly real humour alongside a delicate insight into old age and its impact upon family members. Two of Hollywood’s most intriguing actors, Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour-Hoffman, play estranged siblings who are forced back into each other’s lives after their father’s girlfriend dies, leaving him alone with steadily advancing dementia. In adulthood the two have grown apart, but this reunion forces them back into long-forgotten roles as they struggle to look after a father who could never take care of them.

Siblings offer a veritable minefield of subject material for filmmakers, yet they appear relatively rarely, and it is even rarer to find siblings handled with such nuanced realism. Writer and director Tamara Jenkins (The Slums of Beverley Hills) has managed to perfectly sculpt that dynamic which is so particular to siblings, seeping it into their every exchange and sideways glance. Linney and Hoffman are perfectly cast, and admirably manoeuvre through the contradictions and complexities at play in their relationship, as they simultaneously strive to prove themselves and to prove their apparent indifference. Alongside them, all the other characters and sub-plots fade into insignificance; even their father is nothing more than the catalyst that brings the two back together. Arguably, some will find this frustrating, but for those in search of a relationship portrait with some fine-tuned performances, The Savages delivers. Delicately insightful and quietly thought-provoking, it makes an ideal compliment to this wintery climate.