Philip Seymour Hoffman’s most challenging performance: “It is a very intense story”
When the world lost Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2014, it mourned the loss of one of the finest acting talents of a generation. As capable of delivering a knockout dramatic performance as he was a subtly comedic one, Hoffman excelled in every role he was cast in. A favourite of Paul Thomas Anderson, a major player in the ‘Hunger Games’ franchise, and the father of rising star Cooper Hoffman, the great performer left behind an incredible legacy.
Across his remarkable career, Hoffman challenged himself in a variety of roles that all required very different things. In The Master, he plays the leader of a cult, a character that required great nuance as both a sinister despot and a charismatic friend to lost souls. His Oscar-winning turn as Truman Capote in Bennett Miller’s biopic captured the tension of a man struggling to contain his demons in light of great personal success. However, according to the man himself, there was one movie that offered up a challenge like no other.
Speaking with the BBC about his then-upcoming movie Love Liza, Hoffman outlined why he was going to have troubling selling the film to prospective audiences. “It is a very intense story. But it’s such an entertaining movie to watch,” he said. “Every time I watch it, I see a lot of layers and colours about life in this movie. It’s not just one thing. It’s not just grief from beginning to end. That’s why I loved it when I read it. It shows sadness and grief and sorrow in all the different colours that it comes in, so there’s a lot of humour in it also. That’s why I feel strongly about it.”
Written by his older brother Gordy, Love Liza begins with Hoffman’s character, Wilson Joel (not a typo—his name really is back-to-front), coming to terms with the recent and unexpected suicide of his wife, the title character. The plot follows Joel as he does everything he can to avoid confronting his emotions, including flying remote-controlled planes and inhaling gasoline fumes. This avoidance is embodied by the unopened letter from Liza he keeps in his pocket—one that could offer him some closure, if he ever actually reads it.
According to Hoffman, Joel’s addiction to gasoline fumes – a practice known as ‘huffing’ – was a major stumbling block in trying to get the film financed. “When we pitched the film trying to get money for it, we’d always get to the gasoline part and people would always go, ‘What?!’” he said. However, in his view, this showed a ‘regression’ of the character and added more context to his grief. It’s also an absurd image, which helps a lot when you’re making a bleak black comedy.
Unfortunately, Hoffman’s impassioned plea wasn’t enough to get people through the doors. Love Liza also failed to make a critical splash, as it received mixed reviews, although contemporary assessments of the picture concede that it takes on an entirely new meaning in the wake of the actor’s own tragic passing.
It might not have been the smash hit he was hoping for, but Hoffman got to put himself in a new pair of shoes for this film, an invaluable experience for any actor. He also helped out his big brother, which counts for a hell of a lot too.
