Jack Goes Boating



Director: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Amy Ryan
***

Philip Seymour Hoffman makes his directorial debut in the unconventional romance Jack Goes Boating, adapted from Bob Glaudini's 2007 play of the same name. Hoffman also stars as the film's central figure Jack, a shy, overweight, 40-something limousine driver in New York. A reggae-loving, blonde dreadlocked single, Jack is Mr Below-Average and Mr Lonely rolled into one.

His best friend Clyde (John Ortiz) and Clyde's wife Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega) set Jack up with the equally timid, socially awkward Connie (Amy Ryan). The prospect of romance and a long-term relationship sets Jack firmly on the path to self-improvement. This evolution, albeit snail-paced, happens as Jack masters cooking and learns to swim in the hope that he might one day take Connie boating in Central Park.

All four main characters deliver sensitive, believable performances and skilfully deflect attention away from the very basic script and storyline. Scenes between Jack and Connie are eye-to-the-keyhole fascinating to watch, their encounters consisting of painfully long silences, nervous smiles and stilted conversation. Hoffman's acting is formidable; however this is perhaps where he neglected his director's duties. Towards the middle of the film, the viewer starts to yearn for a better understanding of the characters: their background, childhood and family, indeed, any kind of context or clue that could provide an explanation for their gauche behaviour.

On the flip side, Hoffman's greatest success as a director was allowing this film to breathe. Cameras are indulgently left rolling at the end of many scenes, letting viewers draw their own conclusions about the motivations of the characters as they stare pensively into space or just go quietly about their daily business. The film moves at the same speed as Jack's listless life and the absence of jump-cuts, choppy scene changes and quick-fire dialogue makes watching this film a blissfully calm experience.

Another technique favoured by Hoffman is to make his characters manifest their dreams by "visualisation". One of the most beautifully crafted scenes in the film involves Jack preparing a meal for Connie in his mind's eye. With the grace of a ballet dancer he moves around his kitchen miming the slicing, whisking and baking of the carefully choreographed meal over and over again.

The parallel storylines work well, too, with Jack stumbling hesitantly into his new relationship with Connie, all the while witnessing the jealous bickering between Clyde and Lucy that threatens to end their marriage. Ortiz's performance as Lucy's husband and Jack's mentor is flawless and he keeps the viewer's attention until the credits roll, revealing layer upon layer of his well-meaning but damaged character. He's the undisputed lynchpin of this movie and brings great energy to an otherwise low-wattage film. What also transmits through the lens is the chemistry that Hoffman, Ortiz and Rubin-Vega share. This no doubt had much to do with the trio making up the original cast for the off-Broadway stage production.

It is to Hoffman's credit that the film's characters stay with you as long as they do. Though not attractive, charismatic or amusing, they do secure your compassion and almost make you hope a sequel will surface in years to come. What happens to the clumsy couple in New York? Surely if they could make it there, they could make it anywhere, right? Overcoming all the odds and flying in the face of adversity is, after all, what this film is all about. Whether Hoffman successfully overcame the challenges posed by directing and acting in Jack Goes Boating, is not entirely clear. Not bad for a first attempt, I'd say, and if you're in the market for a quirky romantic drama, it might just float your boat.

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The biog

Favourite car: Ferrari

Likes the colour: Black

Best movie: Avatar

Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The biog

Name: Mariam Ketait

Emirate: Dubai

Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language

Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown

Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures

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Three ways to get a gratitude glow

By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.

  • During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
  • As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
  • In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
MATCH DETAILS

Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)

Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg

Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

Company%C2%A0profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

MATCH INFO

Mumbai Indians 186-6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 183-5 (20 ovs)

Mumbai Indians won by three runs