Philip Seymour Hoffman Aug10

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Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the best actors of his generation. His performance alongside Jude Law and Matt Damon in The Talented Mr Ripley exhibited his ability to be obnoxious, while his role as Art Howe in Moneyball exuded righteous indignation (if not incompetence) and a good measure of integrity. He was as versatile as they come; in Along Came Polly he played a deluded and struggling actor who used to be famous, and who hilariously wants to play both Jesus and Judas simultaneously purely to try to resurrect his non-existent career. He had an unmistakable comic talent. In The Master he was enigmatic, mercurial, authoritative, sinister; in The Big Lebowski he is simpering; in Happiness he is pathetic but lost and frustrated. He had no limitations other than that paunch and those less-than-leading-man looks. He always struck me as a brave actor, willing to commit to a role with honesty and professionalism; mostly he was just so utterly compelling. I used to think that if I were a director with a sufficient budget the first thing I would do is ring Hoffman before Pitt or Clooney or Streep. Having his name on the credit roll meant the movie had legitimacy and qualified the project as proper art, and would guarantee the audience thoughtfulness, humour but mostly believability.

I wager he’ll be best remembered for his role in Capote partly because the real Capote was so singular and therefore such a challenge to depict, but also because of the on-screen Capote’s dilemma which says so much about art and the artist’s prerogative.

Hoffman is a loss but it’s a privilege to have seen his films while he was alive.

R.H.