Love Liza

R

Released Dec 30, 2002

1 hr. 30 min.

Drama

List

54%

87 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

After his wife commits suicide, a distraught man (Philip Seymour Hoffman) begins to sniff gasoline and search for answers.

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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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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

Audience Member

Hoffman is a marvel unto himself. Throw in Kathy Bates and a great supporting cast and you've a great recipe for success. This is a fantastic study of the fraility of the human condition that has been ignited by the most severe of circumstances. It takes you through the slow burn of having to deal not only with the loss of a loved one but one who has taken her life by violent means. How this would affect anyone can only be imagined, but the dark tunnel Hoffman's character spins down is as good an approximation as anyone could imagine. If you're looking for answers or resolution that's not how life works. This is the depths of unrequited despair many have experienced and many who have experienced even more. A great treatise on the frailty of the human condition and the inherent potential explosion of that frailty when gas is throw on the fire.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

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Todd Louiso

Director

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Wilson Joel

Kathy Bates

Mary Ann Bankhead

Jack Kehler

Denny

Sarah Koskoff

Maura

Stephen Tobolowsky

Tom Bailey

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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

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Synopsis

After his wife commits suicide, a distraught man (Philip Seymour Hoffman) begins to sniff gasoline and search for answers.

Director: Todd Louiso
Executive Producer: Jim Czarnecki, Rainer Kölmel, Vincent Maraval, Alain de la Mata
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
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo

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