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Love Liza

Play trailer Poster for Love Liza R Released Dec 30, 2002 1h 30m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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55% Tomatometer 86 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
After his wife commits suicide, a distraught man (Philip Seymour Hoffman) begins to sniff gasoline and search for answers.
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Love Liza

Love Liza

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Critics Consensus

Hoffman's performance is strong, but the lack of character development and story arc makes Love Liza unsatisfying.

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Critics Reviews

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Empire Magazine Rated: 4/5 Jun 20, 2003 Full Review Newsday Rated: 3/4 May 28, 2003 Full Review Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle It comes the closest to any movie experience I've had in re-creating the aftermath of unexplained suicide. Rated: 3.5/5 Mar 10, 2003 Full Review Jonah Koslofsky The Spool Love Liza's success can be traced back to Hoffman's uncompromising exploration of irreconcilable pain. Feb 18, 2021 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Fans of Phillip Seymour Hoffman simply must see this film. Rated: 3.0/4.0 Sep 15, 2020 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a strong performance that slightly elevates this minor film (written by his brother) above its narrow scope and small-scale production. Rated: C+ Jan 24, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jan C This is near perfect or a film about grief and belonging. Philip Seymour Hoffman was a genius. Fucken incredible performance. This film is a masterclass in acting… one of his finest performances. The joy and the pain that he brings to this role was one I felt along with the character. The scenes leading up to, and at, the boat and airplane hobbyist competition were so powerful it was palpable. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/07/24 Full Review 76er F A phenomenal movie! A Masterpiece of acting by Hoffman! Funny yet A tear jerker at the same time! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/15/23 Full Review steve d Phil is as good as ever, but this film is uncomfortable especially given his personal demons. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Taylor L Why is it when a movie is called 'tragicomic' it's always more tragedy than comedy? A film full of uncomfortable silences, Love Liza details the collapse of a man's life in the wake of his wife's suicide; he has a suicide note that he refuses to read, instead choosing diversions like constantly huffing gas fumes and getting really into model planes. He mostly seems to simply lose interest in everything that was previously important to him once this catastrophic event takes place, alongside a similar decline in his mother-in-law (Kathy Bates), who at least makes the attempt to come to terms with what happened. There's a raft of supporting characters that mostly tiptoe around the elephant in the room or make vague, halfhearted attempts to comfort Philip Seymour Hoffman's Wilson, but they mostly only serve to reinforce the gulf that's formed between him and the world he used to know. Critics weren't kind to this film when it was first released, citing a lack of a character arc or story, but that's kind of the point - Wilson is essentially stuck in a tar pit of depression, partly of his own creation, and any attempts to break free are essentially fruitless. Hoffman himself is fantastic, a magnetic lead performance that gives off exactly the parasocial energy that you'd expect of a character trying to blot out reality with whatever distractions he can find. Tragic to think about the authenticity of the performance, the aimless wandering and desolation, in the aftermath of Hoffman's own suicide. This isn't cheerful viewing, but it deserves a reevaluation. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Charles D The acting is top notch and the story twists and turns in unexpected ways. Great story and great acting. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/19/22 Full Review Audience Member A little seen gem of a film and a personal favorite PSH performance of mine. The frailty of the human condition is handled as it should be with great sadness, loss of control, recognition and tenderness. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/28/21 Full Review Read all reviews
Love Liza

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis After his wife commits suicide, a distraught man (Philip Seymour Hoffman) begins to sniff gasoline and search for answers.
Director
Todd Louiso
Producer
Ruth Charny, Chris Hanley, Jeffrey Roda, Fernando Sulichin
Screenwriter
Gordy Hoffman
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Sony Pictures Classics
Rating
R (Language|Drug Use|Brief Nudity)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 30, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 10, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$211.7K
Runtime
1h 30m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Stereo
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