Wordiezett So much average

BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

SnoopyStyle Jack (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a limo driver working for his uncle with his friend Clyde. Clyde and his wife Lucy invite Jack and her co-worker Connie (Amy Ryan) to dinner. Connie is socially awkward like Jack. It's winter. After Connie mentions boating, Jack decides to take swimming lessons. She gets attacked on the subway. When Connie mentions that nobody has ever cooked for her, Jack decides to take cooking lessons. Meanwhile, jealousy seeps into Clyde and Lucy's marriage over perceived infidelity. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Ryan are endearing together. There are some good oddball moments. Amy Ryan trying to close a deal while spouting blood is kind of funny. It's a bit clunky at times with Philip Seymour Hoffman trying out directing for the first and only time.

jotix100 A shy man, Jack is a new yorker whose potential has not been fully realized. He is a limo driver whose life does not seem to be going anywhere. Jack is best friends with Clyde, another driver, who seems to be exactly what his co-worker is not. Jack lacks social graces, but that does not mean he is a loser by choice. Life has not prepared Jack in the romance department. Part of the problem is that Jack is a loner. He is awkward as well as clumsy.All that is about to change. Clyde, married to Lucy, think their mutual friend, Connie, might be a good match for their friend. Connie is as clumsy and awkward as Jack, appearing to be sexually deprived as him. Clyde decides Jack needs to get into swimming, a great undertaking to get him out of his protective armor. At the same time, Clyde wants Jack to learn a few tricks from a Waldorf's chef so he can wow Connie with an impressive dinner. Eventually, Jack and Connie find a mutual ground to make it as a couple. The film is based on the play of the same title by Robert Glaudini, who adapted the original material for the screen. We saw it when it was presented at NewYork's Public theater, a few years ago. The film version is directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is repeating the role he created. The film is small and still shows its origins as Mr. Hoffman keeps it as intimate, as it was in the theater. He shows generosity in the way he staged the text. In some other hands, it would probably had not been so. Mr. Hoffman, one of the best actors working in movies today shows great intelligence in his approach to the solitary man discovering a lot of possibilities when he meets the right woman with whom make music together. Amy Ryan keeps surprising with each new appearance. Her Connie is real, a sheltered young woman, opening to a life she never thought probably existed before she met Jack. John Ortiz and Daphne Rubin-Vega repeat their performances as Clyde and Lucy.

MartinHafer This is an odd film. It starts off a lot like "Marty" and you feel a connection to the characters, but by the end, the film's more like "What Ever Happened to Virginia Wolfe?" (with all the arguing and substance abuse)...and that's a combination that just didn't sit well with me.Philip Seymour Hoffman had apparently starred in the play on which this film is based. In addition, he directed this low-budget project. How the two projects differ, I can't say, as I never had a chance to see the play.Hoffman plays a very shy and insecure middle-aged guy who is single. His friend sets him up with a lady who is equally shy and socially awkward. While neither really open up much at their initial meeting, over time a relationship slowly develops--at which time you learn more about the two characters. She is carrying some emotionally baggage and cold probably use a sex therapist, as she is phobic about being touched. He is incredibly unsure of himself and worries excessively about screwing up. In many ways, these two people did remind me of the characters in "Marty"--but they seemed to have MUCH more emotional baggage and were much more constricted emotionally. Because of this, the film was VERY dry and slow...glacially slow. Now I could have stood this, as I did connect with the pair. But, sadly, late in the film, the couple that introduced the two began to act almost exactly like Richard Burton and Liz Taylor from "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?"--and it just didn't fit with what had already been established. I wanted to see these two sweet screwed up folks together--not watch the Bickersons drink, do drugs and argue in the most vicious manner. It truly made my skin crawl.Overall, I would not watch the film. The first portion is great--the last, too dominated by the screwed up couple, was tough going. I think a tighter focus would have helped this film considerably. It's a shame, as the acting and some of the characters were nice.By the way, if you are interested, the title is referring to the risks Jack (Hoffman) is willing to take to change and grow. Despite a fear of water and unable to swim, he promises to take his new girl boating--and subsequently learns to swim and overcome his fear.

lewiskendell "You've never been in a relationship for any length of time. A lot happens."Jack Goes Boating is a raw, hard to categorize directorial debut for Philip Seymour Hoffman, adapted from the play of the same title. I guess if I had to assign it a genre, it would be indie drama. The story follows the hesitantly blossoming relationship between Jack (Hoffman) and Connie (Amy Ryan), and the rocky, established relationship of their friends Clyde (John Ortiz) and Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega). Jack Goes Boating reminded me of Two Lovers in some ways. It involves flawed people making decisions that aren't always the wisest ones, and dealing with things in their past that make their current relationships more difficult. Don't expect this to be romantic or cutesy, it attempts to go for the "realistic" angle, with all the problems and realities that come with real adult relationships. That's derailed a bit by the occasionally awkward dialogue and characters that aren't really as fleshed out as they needed to be. We don't get much of a sense of who they used to be or what their past was like, and that would have added to the movie immensely. It's somewhat difficult to put into context the characters as they are now, without that information.  Still, I think this was a pretty decent debut from Hoffman. He's clearly in the process of learning what works from the other side of the camera, and it's puzzling why they didn't adjust the odd, romance novel-like dialogue in some places, but overall, Jack Goes Boating hints at a promising future. There are some poignant moments that really stuck out, to me. Fans of Hoffman and Ryan (count me as both) should check it out.