1967-2014
Unfortunately, we have to bid farewell to another one. This time, the great Philip Seymour Hoffman has left us prematurely. He was not a household name, but a household face. People who watch an average number of movies have seen him in something. This is no surprise since imdb.com gives him 62 cinematic credits (plus one TV show). More people learned his name this past summer as he became part of the Hunger Games franchise. His arrow was pointed up.
Those of us who call ourselves movie buffs know that Hoffman was no mere character actor popping up with bit roles in a lot of films. He was a master thespian, one of the finest actors of his generation. He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for playing the titular role in 2005's Capote. He was also nominated for three other Oscars during his career.
Of those 62 movies he made, I've personally seen about a third of them. In nearly every one of them, he stood out to me as giving an enjoyable performance. This is true even in the films I didn't enjoy. For instance, take Synecdoche, New York. Lots of people love this movie. I could launch into a diatribe about why I hate it, but that's beside the point. The point is he was brilliant in the lead role. For that reason, I always look forward to seeing movies in which he is cast. Since starting this blog, I've reviewed a number of his movies and in most of them, I speak glowingly about his work. Click here to read my reviews of his work.
So long, friend Philip. You will be missed.
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