Jack Goes Boating

So, the directorial debut of Philip Seymour Hoffman? Yes, please! He’s definitely one of the best character actors out there and throw into the mix that it’s an indie movie about a quirky socially inept couple and I’m all in. I missed this one in the theaters but thanks to Netflix instant I got the chance to finally see it.

The movie also stars Amy Ryan (think Holly from The Office) and she does a fantastic job. Apparently, this was adapted from a play that these same actors were in. The movie is about Jack, a headphones wearing anti-social limo driver, who begins a romance with an equally quirky woman and gets help from a married couple along the way.

The story is subdued. The characters are dynamic and relatable. The plot is quite believable although the synchronization of the two couples is a little dramatized – but hey it is a movie after all. I can’t help but like these stories about sweet quirky couples – so the story was endearing in my opinion. I liked how the budding relationship between the two main characters brought out the real problems with the married couple to the forefront. I also loved the symbolism of the apartment bathroom to literally show how each of these characters built walls in their relationships with others. There was even some dry humor sprinkled in at select moments, but a dramedy this was not.

The cinematography and score were smooth and effortless as I would expect a movie of this sort. The shots focused on the characters and we had a lot of close ups showing us their non-verbal acting as well.

The ending felt a little bit rushed and off when compared to the rest of the movie. The plot also only focused on the beginning of the relationship and I would’ve liked to see a bit more between the two characters – possibly even some background would’ve been nice.

Overall, it was a nice little subtle film. Nothing extraordinary to report/ It felt very personal which is the way a directorial debut should be. I enjoyed it. Is it for everyone? Obviously not. “That’s a long way off. Spacetravel for tourists” – Jack Goes Boating.