 25th Hour 2002  R, 134 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Spike Lee
Cast: Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Tony Siragusa, Levani Outchaneichvili, Misha Kuznetsov, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
While drug dealer Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) faces a seven year jail term, he spends his last 24 hours of freedom making peace with friends and relatives.
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 Almost Famous 2000  R, 124 min.
Genre: Drama / Musical
Director: Cameron Crowe
Cast: Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, Patrick Fugit, Anna Paquin, Fairuza Balk, Noah Taylor, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Zooey Deschanel, Michael Angarano, John Fedevich, Liz Stauber, Jimmy Fallon, Mark Kozelek
In the early 1970s, aspiring journalist, San Diego high school student William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is given the choice assignment of writing a "Rolling Stone" article about the rising rock band Stillwater. William joins the band's "Almost Famous" tour, befriends guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) and lead singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee), falls in love with "band aid" Elaine (Kate Hudson), and sees the real world. But throughout his assignment, William's mother (Frances McDormand) calls him often and warns him to stay away from drugs. The film won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay; both Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand were nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
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Along Came Polly 2004  PG-13, 90 min.
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Director: John Hamburg
Cast: Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Debra Messing, Alec Baldwin, Hank Azaria, Bryan Brown, Jsu Garcia, Michele Lee, Bob Dishy, Missi Pyle, Judah Friedlander, Kevin Hart, Bruce Nozick, Mark Adair-Rios
Very uptight Ruben's (Ben Stiller) marriage meets with disaster. On the first day of his honeymoon he catches his bride (Debra Messing) with another man. Along comes Polly (Jennifer Aniston) who is as free-spirited as Ruben is tense, and the theory of opposites attracting each other is tested.
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Before the Devil Knows You're Dead 2007 R, 117 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei, Rosemary Harris, Aleksa Palladino, Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan, Brian F. O'Byrne, Blaine Horton, Arija Bareikis, Leonardo Cimino, Lee Wilkof, Damon Gupton, Adrian Martinez
Although both work for a Manhattan real-estate firm, brothers Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Hank (Ethan Hawke) desperately need money. Their solution: rob their parents' (Albert Finney and Rosemary Harris) jewelry store. They can take the jewels and sell them, and their parents can collect on the insurance. Thus, nobody loses. But as the story continues, flashbacks reveal a multitude of family problems–including Hank sleeping with Andy's wife (Marisa Tomei)–and the planned robbery is destined to trigger the family's final collision course.
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 Boogie Nights 1997 R, 152 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, Luis Guzman, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alfred Molina, Philip Baker Hall, Robert Ridgely, Melora Walters, Ricky Jay
Porn star Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) was once a dishwasher before Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) opened doors for him in the film industry. This is a behind-the-scenes look at the world of pornographic filmmaking that parallels that of mainstream Hollywood. Reynolds and Julianne Moore received Supporting Actor and Actress Oscar nominations.
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Capote 2005 R, 110 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Bennett Miller
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr., Chris Cooper, Bruce Greenwood, Bob Balaban, Amy Ryan, Mark Pellegrino, Allie Mickelson, Marshall Bell, R.D. Reid, Marina Stephenseon Kerr, Kelci Stephenson, Craig Archibald, Bronwen Coleman
In 1959, Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his good friend, author Harper Lee (Catherine Keener), traveled to Holcomb, Kansas, to get background information for Capote's book, "In Cold Blood." This is the story of that journey and of the relationship Capote formed with one of the killers, Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.). Hoffman won an Academy Award for Best Actor. The film received four other nominations, including Best Picture, Director, and Supporting Actress (Catherine Keener).
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Charlie Wilson's War 2007  R, 97 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Ned Beatty, Emily Blunt, Om Puri, Ken Stott, John Slattery, Denis O'Hare, Jud Tylor, Christopher Denham, Brian Markinson, Peter Gerety
Based on George Crile's popular book, this story, based on fact, involves funding for a covert war operation, which provided money and weapons to Afghan rebels. Liberal living and thinking Texas playboy congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) joins forces with CIA Agent Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and wealthy, anti-communist Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts). Charlie manages to squeeze money out of a House subcommittee giving the Afghan resistance the means to fight off the Soviet invaders. Throughout the 1980s, money was provided, and, by the end of the decade, the Soviets were on the run–thanks to Charlie. Hoffman received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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 Cold Mountain 2003 R, 155 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Anthony Minghella
Cast: Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, Donald Sutherland, Ray Winstone, Brendan Gleeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Kathy Baker, James Gammon, Giovanni Ribisi, Eileen Atkins
During the Civil War, a wounded Confederate soldier, Inman (Jude Law), goes AWOL and struggles to return home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina, with dreams of reuniting with the woman (Nicole Kidman) he loves. Renee Zellweger won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film was nominated for five other Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Law).
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Doubt 2008 PG-13, 104 min.
Genre: Drama / Mystery
Director: John Patrick Shanley
Cast: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Alice Drummond, Audrie J. Neenan, Viola Davis, Carrie Preston, John Costelloe, Susan Bloomaert, Joseph Foster, Lloyd Clay Brown, Bridget Megan Clark, Michael Roukis, Haklar Dezso, Frank Shanley
Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep) serves as principal at a Catholic middle school where her domineering attitude clashes with popular Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Sister Aloysius becomes suspicious of Father Flynn after he delivers a sermon on the power of "doubt" and asks one of her teachers, Sister James (Amy Adams), to advise her of any strange behavior. Sister James reports that the school's only Black student, Donald Miller (Joseph Foster), smelled like alcohol after visiting Father Flynn. Now, Sister Aloysius sets out to rid the school of Father Flynn's influence and, in the process, nearly tears the community apart. The film received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress (Streep), Supporting Actor (Hoffman), and both Amy Adams and Viola Davis (for her role as Donald Miller's mother) for Supporting Actress.
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Empire Falls 2005 TV, 186 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Fred Schepisi
Cast: Ed Harris, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Helen Hunt, Paul Newman, Robin Wright Penn, Aidan Quinn, Joanne Woodward, Dennis Farina, William Fichtner, Estelle Parsons, Jeffrey DeMunn, Danielle Panabaker
This made-for-TV movie, consisting of five chapters, is based on Richard Russo's Pulitzer Prize winning novel in which Miles Roby (Ed Harris) manages the Empire Grill that is owned by the town matriarch (Joanne Woodward) in his blue-collar mill town in Maine. Miles feels his world is disintegrating because his wife, Janine (Helen Hunt), is divorcing him. He reflects on the state of his life, which also includes his not-so-kind father (Paul Newman) and his daughter (Danielle Panabaker), while his own life remains in limbo. Despite the despair, there is a message of love and hope that permeates this story.
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Flawless 1999 R, 112 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Miller, Skipp Sudduth, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Nashom Benjamin, Wanda De Jesus, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Chris Bauer, Rory Cochrane
Following a stroke in which he lost his vocal cords, the ultraconservative homophobic Walt Koontz (Robert De Niro) finds that his rehabilitation program involves singing lessons. The problem is not with the lessons; it is the teacher, Rusty (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a drag queen who is particularly prejudiced against close-minded homophobes.
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The Getaway 1994  R, 115 min.
Genre: Action / Drama / Adventure / Romance / Thriller
Director: Roger Donaldson
Cast: Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Michael Madsen, James Woods, David Morse, Jennifer Tilly, James Stephens, Richard Farnsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Burton Gilliam, Royce D. Applegate, Alex Colon, Daniel Villarreal, Scott McKenna, Justin Williams
In this violent film–a remake of the 1972 movie–gangster Jack Benyon (James Woods) arranges for Doc McCoy's (Alex Baldwin) release from a Mexican jail after making a deal with Doc's wife Carol (Kim Basinger). The deal involves Doc holding up an Arizona race track, and Doc, along with Rudy (Michael Madsen) and Frank (Philip Seymour Hoffman), pulls off the heist. But, problems follow, and Doc and Carol try to escape to Mexico with their stolen million dollars.
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 Happiness 1998 R, 139 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Todd Solondz
Cast: Jane Adams, Lara Flynn Boyle, Cynthia Stevenson, Dylan Baker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ben Gazzara, Louise Lasser, Jared Harris, Jon Lovitz, Elizabeth Ashley
Middle-class New Jersey sisters–Joy (Jane Adams), Helen (Lara Flynn Boyle), and Trish (Cynthia Stevenson) live their individual lives, each filled with misery, in this story of inter-connected episodes focusing on self-absorption, aimlessness, pedophilia, and murder.
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Leap of Faith 1992  PG-13, 110 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Richard Pearce
Cast: Steve Martin, Debra Winger, Lolita Davidovich, Liam Neeson, Lukas Haas, Troy Evans, Meat Loaf, M.C. Gainey, John Toles-Bey, Philip Seymour Hoffman
This comedy/drama involves an evangelical preacher (Steve Martin) who is determined to con the locals of a small Kansas town, but his partner (Debra Winger) is leery and tries to get him to leave town.
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Love Liza 2002 R, 90 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Todd Louiso
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Jack Kehler, Sarah Koskoff, Stephen Tobolowsky, Shannon Holt, J.D. Walsh, Jim Wise, Trace Turville, Erika Alexander
Wilson Joel (Philip Seymour Hoffman) can't come to grips with his wife's suicide and resorts to sniffing gasoline and becoming a remote-control airplane enthusiast.
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Magnolia 1999 R, 185 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, Melora Walters, Melinda Dillon, Michael Bowen
This film represents a finely tuned ensemble of quality acting. Set in the San Fernando Valley, the story draws parallels between its characters whose lives intertwine for brief periods. Tom Cruise's performance is a highlight, and he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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 Mission: Impossible III 2006 PG-13, 126 min.
Genre: Action / Thriller
Director: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Maggie Q, Simon Pegg, Eddie Marsan, Laurence Fishburne, Bahar Soomekh, Jeff Chase, Carla Gallo
In this third entry of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, super-spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has retired from active duty, is training new Impossible Mission Force agents, and is engaged to Julia (Michelle Monaghan) who knows nothing about his perilous past. But dangers escalate when Hunt is called on to assemble a team–Luther Strickell (Ving Rhames), Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), and Zhen (Maggie Q)–whose mission is to track down evil international weapons provider Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and, in the process, rescue Hunt's prize pupil, Lindsey (Keri Russell).
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Money for Nothing 1993 R, 100 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Ramon Menendez
Cast: John Cusack, Debi Mazar, Michael Madsen, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Rapaport, Maury Chaykin, James Gandolfini, Fionnula Flanagan, Elizabeth Bracco, Ashleigh Dejon, Lenny Venito, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Joey (John Cusack) finds $1.2 million, takes the money, and runs. After all, he is unemployed, and the money can help change his life. But, as Joey makes plans to leave the country, his intentions upset his family, the Mob demands its share of the laundering process, and, all the while, Detective Laurenzi (Michael Madsen) is on his trail.
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Montana 1998  R, 96 min.
Genre: Action / Drama / Comedy
Director: Jennifer Leitzes
Cast: Kyra Sedgwick, Stanley Tucci, Robin Tunney, Robbie Coltrane, John Ritter, Ethan Embry, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mark Boone Junior, Jerry Grayson, Paul Calderon, Ajay Naidu, Karl Geary, Richard Zobel, Alan Manson, Raynor Scheine
In this double-crossing hit man story, the "heroine," Claire (Kyra Sedgwick), is sent off by her gangster boss (Robbie Coltrane) to track-down his runaway girlfriend, Kitty (Robin Tunney). Along on the mission are Claire's terminally ill hit man lover Nick (Stanley Tucci) and the boss' son, Jimmy (Ethan Embry). But, when Claire kills Jimmy during a rape attempt, the tables are turned, and Claire becomes the foil when the boss' right-hand man, Duncan (Philip Seymour Hoffman), takes over.
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My Boyfriend's Back 1993 PG-13, 84 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Bob Balaban
Cast: Andrew Lowery, Traci Lind, Danny Zorn, Edward Herrmann, Mary Beth Hurt, Austin Pendleton, Jay O. Sanders, Libby Villari, Matthew Fox, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Johnny (Andrew Lowery) has loved Missy McCloud (Traci Lind), the most beautiful and popular girl in high school, since the first grade. But, being shy, he hasn't had the courage to ask her out. With the prom coming up, Johnny is about to ask her when he gets killed. Even this doesn't stop him, and he rises from the dead and takes her out. She even likes him more now that he is dead. Strange, but fun.
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My New Gun 1992 R, 99 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Stacy Cochran
Cast: Diane Lane, James LeGros, Stephen Collins, Tess Harper, Bruce Altman, Maddie Corman, Bill Raymond, Suzzy Roche, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Patti Chambers, Stephen Pearlman
Life for suburban housewife Debbie (Diane Lane) turns to chaos after her husband, Gerald (Stephen Collins), brings a .38 revolver home, and their oddball neighbor Skippy (James LeGros) helps himself to the gun.
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Next Stop, Wonderland 1998 R, 104 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Brad Anderson
Cast: Hope Davis, Alan Gelfant, Victor Argo, H. Jon Benjamin, Cara Buono, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Roger Rees, Larry Gilliard Jr., Robert(2) Stanton, Holland Taylor
When Erin's (Hope Davis) boyfriend dumps her, her own mother (Holland Taylor) places an ad in the personals for her. Then there is Alan (Alan Gelfant), the aspiring marine biologist. Erin and Alan often come close but don't quite meet. Will their paths finally cross?
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Nobody's Fool 1994 R, 110 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Paul Newman, Jessica Tandy, Melanie Griffith, Bruce Willis, Dylan Walsh, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Gene Saks, Josef Sommer, Philip Bosco, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Dent, Jay Patterson, Alexander Goodwin, Carl J. Matusovich, Jerry Mayer
This comedy/drama was Jessica Tandy's last picture. It is also one of the year's best. Tandy plays Sully Sullivan's (Paul Newman) landlady, Mrs. Beryl, in this story about 60-year-old Sully who hasn't seen or spoken to his ex-wife in many years. Both Sully and his best friend Rub (Pruitt Taylor Vince) do enjoy flirting with Toby (Melanie Griffith) who is married to local contractor Carl (Bruce Willis) who sometimes gives Sully work. Changes begin for Sully when his son Peter (Dylan Walsh) arrives in town for Thanksgiving, and Sully learns that he has a grandson. Now, Sully decides that the holiday season is the time to start fixing up broken relationships. Newman was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.
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Owning Mahowny 2003 R, 107 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Richard Kwietniowski
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Minnie Driver, Maury Chaykin, John Hurt, Sonja Smits, Ian Tracey, Roger Dunn, Jason Blicker, K.C. Collins, Vince Corazza, Eric Fink, Michael Caruana, Matthew Ferguson, Conrad Dunn, Janine Theriault
Based on a true, Canadian bank-fraud case, this story revolves around compulsive gambler/bank manager Dan Mahony (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who finds a unique solution to his money woes.
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Patch Adams 1998 PG-13, 115 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Director: Tom Shadyac
Cast: Robin Williams, Daniel London, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bob Gunton, Josef Sommer, Irma P. Hall, Harve Presnell, Frances Lee McCain, Peter Coyote, Daniella Kuhn, Harold Gould, Michael Jeter, James Greene, Bruce Bohne
Robin Williams performs well as the real-life West Virginia physician, "Patch" Adams, an ex-mental patient who is now in medical school. Patch uses humor to challenge both the medical establishment and fellow students to become more personal in their relationships with patients. Based on a true story.
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Pirate Radio 2009 R, 115 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Musical / Romance
aka: The Boat That Rocked
Director: Richard Curtis
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Rhys Darby, Tom Sturridge, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh, January Jones, Jack Davenport, Ralph Brown, Chris O'Dowd, Tom Brooke, Will Adamsdale, Katherine Parkinson, Emma Thompson
In 1960s' Britain, the BBC chose to broadcast only two hours of rock 'n' roll music per week. As a result, rock aficionados broadcast music from ships on the high seas. One of the ships, Radio Rock, is captained by Quentin (Bill Nighy) who owns a radio station that broadcasts to a huge audience from the seas off Britain. After being expelled from school, Carl (Tom Sturridge) is sent to stay with his Uncle Quentin, meets the disc jockeys led by The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and enters a world filled with clashing egos. Meanwhile, Radio Rock's controversial air antics have disturbed government minister Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh) who sets out to ban Quentin's pirate radio activities.
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 Punch-Drunk Love 2002  R, 90 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzman, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Lisa Spector, Julie Hermelin, Karen Hermelin, Hazel Mailloux, Nicole Gelbard, Rico Bueno, Salvador Curiel
Lonely bachelor Barry Egan (Adam Sandler), owner of a gadget business, finds life taking an upturn when beautiful Lena's (Emily Watson) car breaks down in front of his store, and she asks him for a date. This sets the scene for a series of misadventures, which include redeeming frequent flyer miles from Healthy Choice pudding and meeting Lena in Hawaii. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | If you cringe at cruelty, avoid this one | 1fatts 03/13/2007 | The problem may be mine.
I cannot deny that this movie was skillfully made, that the acting was fine (Philip Seymour Hoffman really was as good as they say), that the director had a vision. I understand, then, all the fine reviews this movie got.
But I find cruely - especially cinematic "look how cruel the world is in its black humor way" very difficult to watch. And this movie was ninety minutes of mean: mean spirit, mean actions and anger, all of which was meant that love really does bring redemption, especially if it teachers you how to be meaner than the other SOBs.
I just cringed for what seemed like one of the longest evenings I had spent in a theater for a long time. My friends, who are nearly as old as I and may be given, like me, to a lack of appreciation for the comedy of anguish cringed with me.
Other, younger viewers whose opinion I respect thought it was the funniest thing since Fargo.
So, as I say, maybe it's me. But if you are like me, don't see it. |
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 Red Dragon 2002 R, 124 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Brett Ratner
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anthony Heald, Ken Leung, Frankie Faison
Early facts surrounding cannibal serial-killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) are brought to the fore in this prequel to "Silence of the Lambs" (1991) and "Hannibal" (2001) when it relates the story behind Lecter's arrest by FBI Agent Will Graham (Edward Norton). The scene then updates to Graham's retirement in Florida when his old boss, Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel), lures Graham back to track down a new serial killer. Could Hannibal be playing a role in the killings?
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The Savages 2007 R, 113 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Tamara Jenkins
Cast: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, David Zayas, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Cara Seymour, Tonye Patano, Guy Boyd, Debra Monk, Rosemary Murphy, Hal Blankenship, Joan Jaffe, Salem Ludwig
Wendy (Laura Linney) and Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the grown children of their abusive father Lenny (Philip Bosco), learn that Lenny is suffering from dementia and is dying. They fly to Arizona and bring Lenny back home to Buffalo where Wendy and Jon reunite under one roof for the first time since childhood and are forced to reconcile past differences in order to deal with their father's impending death. The film received two Academy Award nominations including Best Actress (Linney).
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 Scent of a Woman 1992 R, 157 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Martin Brest
Cast: Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, James Rebhorn, Gabrielle Anwar, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Richard Venture, Bradley Whitford, Rochelle Oliver, Todd Louiso, Gene Canfield, Margaret Eginton, Tom Riis Farrell, Nicholas Sadler, Matt Smith, Frances Conroy
High-school student Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell) is hired to take care of blind, depressed, and foul-mouthed, retired Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino) during Thanksgiving break. Slade plans to commit suicide AFTER one last fling in which Charlie is his companion. Al Pacino won an Oscar for his portrayal of the Colonel. Nominations were also received for Best Picture and Director. Based on the 1974 Italian film.
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State and Main 2000 R, 105 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: David Mamet
Cast: Alec Baldwin, Charles Durning, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Clark Gregg, William H. Macy, Patti LuPone, Sarah Jessica Parker, David Paymer, Rebecca Pidgeon, Julia Stiles
Director Walt Price's (William H. Macy) Hollywood movie crew arrives in Waterford, Vermont, after being run out of New Hampshire because the star, Bob Barrenger (Alec Baldwin), made a play for a local junior-high-school girl. Now the script must be rewritten–to the dismay of playwright Joseph Turner White (Philip Seymour Hoffman)–because the title is "The Old Mill," and Waterford has no mill. While the locals are enthralled with the movie-making glitz, the producer, Marty Rossen (David Paymer), struggles to keep his stars under control and the movie within budget.
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Strangers with Candy 2006 R, 97 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Paul Dinello
Cast: Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, Carlo Alban, Maria Thayer, Deborah Rush, Greg Hollimon, Matthew Broderick, Dan Hedaya, Allison Janney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kristen Johnston, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ian Holm
Slapstick and satire reign in this film based on the TV comedy by the same name. This time around, 46-year-old Jerri (Amy Sedaris) is newly released from prison when she returns home and enters Flatpoint High School to finally earn a diploma. In the process of getting her education, Jerri is caught up in the competitions at the school's science fair. Zany characters from the TV show include Principal Onyx Blackman (Greg Hollimon), art teacher Geoffrey Jellineck (Paul Dinello), and science teacher Chuck Noblet (Stephen Colbert).
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Sydney 1997 R, 93 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
aka: Hard Eight
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, F. William Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nathanael Cooper, Wynn White, Robert Ridgely, Melora Walters, Kathleen Campbell, Michael J. Rowe
Seasoned gambler Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) teaches young John (John C. Reilly) the intricacies of his profession. Two years later, John and Sydney are still friends, and now John and waitress/hooker Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow) are a hot item. Enter Jimmy (Samuel L. Jackson), a Reno low-life. One night the four characters are in a motel room with a bloody corpse that has a lot to do with failing to pay for Clementine's services and John's reaction. How they work themselves out from their dilemma provides a perceptive view of the four personalities that is entertaining and enlightening.
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Synecdoche, New York 2008 R, 124 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hope Davis, Josh Pais, Peter Friedman, Tom Noonan, Sadie Goldstein, Daniel London, Rosemary Murphy, Amy Wright
Caden (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Adele's (Catherine Keener) marriage is falling apart, and Adele takes their daughter Olive (Sadie Goldstein) on a trip to visit her friend Maria (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Caden suffers from a series of ailments that are shutting down his autonomic function. He sees therapist Madeleine Gravis (Hope Davis), but that gets him nowhere. Caden gathers an ensemble cast in a New York City warehouse and directs them to live out their lives in a small mockup of the outside city. Time passes, Caden and Adele are divorced, and Olive is growing up in Europe. Caden has divorced his second wife Claire (Michelle Williams) and buries himself deeper into his masterpiece that increasingly blurs the line between the play and reality. Just when he appears to pushing everything to the limit, an actress (Dianne Wiest) enters Caden's world and just may be the answer to what he needs.
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 The Talented Mr. Ripley 1999 R, 139 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Anthony Minghella
Cast: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Davenport, James Rebhorn, Sergio Rubini, Philip Baker Hall, Celia Weston, Fiorello, Stefania Rocca, Ivano Marescotti, Anna Longhi
Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is sent to Italy to bring back the millionaire playboy, Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law). But after seeing and sharing in the Dickie's lifestyle, Ripley is not willing to give it up. His sociopathic personality now takes over in the solution to his dilemma. Academy Award nominations included Best Supporting Actor (Law).
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 Twister 1996 PG-13, 113 min.
Genre: Action / Adventure / Drama / Thriller
Director: Jan de Bont
Cast: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, Jami Gertz, Lois Smith, Alan Ruck, Zach Grenier, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Scott Thomson, Todd Field, Sean Whalen, Gregory Sporleder, Joey Slotnick, Wendle Josepher
An unfunded team of university researchers–including Bill Harding (Bill Paxton), his soon-to-be ex-wife Jo (Helen Hunt), and Bill's new fiancee Melissa (Jami Gertz)–chase tornadoes to obtain scientific data useful for prediction and control of the deadly twisters. While the love triangle lacks substance, the special effects of tornadoes are excellent and make this a movie worth watching. Academy Award nominations were received for Best Special Effects and Sound.
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When a Man Loves a Woman 1994 R, 124 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Luis Mandoki
Cast: Meg Ryan, Andy Garcia, Ellen Burstyn, Tina Majorino, Lauren Tom, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mae Whitman, LaTanya Richardson, Eugene Roche, Gail Strickland, Susanna Thompson, Al Franken
Finally, alcoholism is portrayed as what it is–an illness and NOT a personality flaw. Meg Ryan plays Alice Green, wife, mother, and alcoholic, who hits her low point and recovery begins. The message is great, but there's not much entertainment value.
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| Oscar: Best Actor for Capote (2005) |
1. 25th Hour (2002)
2. Almost Famous (2000)
3. Along Came Polly (2004)
4. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
5. Boogie Nights (1997)
6. Capote (2005)
7. Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
8. Cold Mountain (2003)
9. Doubt (2008)
10. Empire Falls (2005)
11. Flawless (1999)
12. The Getaway (1994)
13. Happiness (1998)
14. Leap of Faith (1992)
15. Love Liza (2002)
16. Magnolia (1999)
17. Mission: Impossible III (2006)
18. Money for Nothing (1993)
19. Montana (1998)
20. My Boyfriend's Back (1993)
21. My New Gun (1992)
22. Next Stop, Wonderland (1998)
23. Nobody's Fool (1994)
24. Owning Mahowny (2003)
25. Patch Adams (1998)
26. Pirate Radio (2009)
aka: The Boat That Rocked
27. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
28. Red Dragon (2002)
29. The Savages (2007)
30. Scent of a Woman (1992)
31. State and Main (2000)
32. Strangers with Candy (2006)
33. Sydney (1997)
aka: Hard Eight
34. Synecdoche, New York (2008)
35. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
36. Twister (1996)
37. When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
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