This is Philip Seymour Hoffman (as ever!) perfectly reflecting his character with brilliance, truth and unparalleled skill. Wilson is as authentic as he is agonized. Jack Kehler is also a perfect choice in the role of Denny.

This is near perfect or a film about grief and belonging. Philip Seymour Hoffman was a genius. Fucken incredible performance. This film is a masterclass in acting… one of his finest performances. The joy and the pain that he brings to this role was one I felt along with the character. The scenes leading up to, and at, the boat and airplane hobbyist competition were so powerful it was palpable.

A phenomenal movie! A Masterpiece of acting by Hoffman! Funny yet A tear jerker at the same time!

Phil is as good as ever, but this film is uncomfortable especially given his personal demons.

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)

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.

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.

Subtly funny. If it wasn't for Philip Seymour Hoffman's acting and the unopened letter that his wife who committed suicide left him I don't think it would have held my attention. That said, there's something special to the whole of it. It's believable, so much so that it feels hopeless, but that's kind of refreshing. Movies with an unhopeful plot try to be hopeful and it's uplifting but not real. When someone you're close to does themself in, all you can do is rough it and do your best I guess. That's what this movie shows. In other words, it's okay to be a fuck up (and sniff gas) when everything around you is fucked up.

Worth watching for a look at personal loss and one man's inability to cope without extreme measures. For me, a memorable performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Hoffman is brilliant as usual, sad in retrospect. Underrated film, black humor is done very well. A great great film about suicide and its consequences, score by Jim O'Rourke is excellent in itself.

Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a poignant and all too honest performance in "Love Liza", a movie held together by its actors and the intimacy of the story and photography. Desperation has rarely been portrayed this strongly and it's painful to watch--not unlike watching a friend you love gradually losing the ability to cope over a short period of time. The ending, it must be noted, is the perfect note to end this gripping low-key drama.

A very sad and brilliant look at dealing with loss. A man's wife commits suicide, he struggles to come to terms with it and is unable to read the note she left him. An amazing performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of the best even by his standards. Personally, I think it's one if the most depressing films I've ever seen, but that's not a bad thing, it's a great thing.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman playing a man struggling with addiction now makes more uncomfortable viewing than it would have done at the time. This is actually classed as a 'tragicomedy' but I didn't think there were really any laughs in it. But as so often with Hoffman you can't fault his acting, as he gives added depth to what is a pretty slight film.

Great performance by Hoffman.

We all deal with things differently. "I am a huge fan of radio control!"

A brilliant yet depressing look into the grieving and coping of the loss of a loved one. Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a riveting heart felt performance

Really beautiful and sad little movie. The music is absolutely perfect throughout.

Esta cinta recupera esos relatos humanos que caracterizaban el cine de los 70 ("Five Easy Pieces", "Faces"). Philip Seymour Hoffman nos brinda una actuacion perfecta como un hombre que ante el suicidio de su esposa comienza a desbaratarse. Uno de los mejores finales en la historia del cine.

ridiculous. why make a movie about this character?

As illustrious as Philip Seymour Hoffman's career has become, Love Liza perhaps offers a hidden gem in his laudable career. In it he plays a distraught widower, whose wife killed herself for seemingly unknown reasons. This propels him on a strange journey involving gasoline and remote controlled airplanes. It's an undeniably indie film, unconventional in many respects, and effective on an emotional level. Its narrative arc, however, leaves something to be desired. Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance is certainly the most notable aspect of the film, making it worth watching for its shear depth and power alone. He embodies the manic personality perfectly, sometimes deliriously upbeat, other times helplessly distraught and confused. This is what the film gets right, a loss such as what Hoffman's character experienced is not easily gotten over, and does not offer happy endings or easy answers. Life can be confusing, inexplicable, and harsh, Love Liza captures this with a mature sense surpassing many similarly themed films. The problem with Love Liza, however, is that its script, smart in its characterizations, doesn't pay off in a narrative sense. The relationship between Hoffman and his wife is never fully explored, with no sense of resolution to be had, which can work, but only if we can more aptly identify with the dynamics at work. The film offers interesting characters, but raises more questions than it answers, leaving the film in a bit of a meandering spot. An overall effective drama, notable for its strong central performance. 3.5/5 Stars