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Hoffman [1969]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Hoffman is an odd cross between There's a Girl in My Soup and The Collector and is clearly one of the few film projects Peter Sellers took seriously enough to work hard on, rather than one of the many he breezed through on a talent for funny voices and unleashed chaos. The set-up is that secretary Miss Smith (Sinead Cusack) is blackmailed by meek, middle-aged Mr Hoffman (Sellers) into spending a week of domesticity with him in his flat, while she tells her fiance (Jeremy "Boba Fett" Bulloch) that she's with her gran in Scarborough. At first, the tone is creepy as Cusack dreads the terrors of sharing a bed with Sellers and he mutters darkly about an absent wife in terms that recall Crippen and the brides-in-the-bath murderer, but it becomes more poignant as both characters learn to see each other as people.

The worst Sellers does in bed is snore loudly, while the unattainably glamorous young woman suffers from minor ailments like a bruised heel and night-time constipation, and the at-first simple relationship between them deepens as the girl comes to understand the half-life Hoffman has been leading. The script gives Sellers a lot of funny business, acid lines and whimsical turns, but he plays Hoffman as a repressed soul half-ashamed of his attempts to be funny, telling genuinely good jokes as if he expects no one will laugh. Cusack, more interesting than the expected dolly bird, keeps up with her co-star, and almost makes the strangely upbeat last reel believable.

On the DVD: Hoffman comes to disc in a nice widescreen print. Otherwise, nada. The film is also available as part of the four-disc Peter Sellers Collection.--Kim Newman


IF YOU ARE A SELLERS FAN AND HAVE NOT SEEN IT YET, WATCH IT FIRST BEFORE READING THE REVIEWS, ESPECIALLY AMAZON'S
Review date: 2008-06-04 Rating: 10 out of 10

Obviously read my review, of course, but I write this only to advise PS fans who somehow have not got round to watching this yet and are not familiar with the story, to simply buy or rent the thing and watch it! (And don't read the blurb on the back of the case as they ALWAYS give away too much). Of course it is not a disaster if you find out what it's about before you watch it, as the film really is worth watching, but I think with this one, it really does enhance the enjoyment to let this excellent and unusual tale fold out and reveal itself from ground zero as it were, that is not knowing anything about it. Of course I would love to put my tuppenceworth in and say my bit about the film like the others, because I really, really rate it, but I don't want to spoil the experience for you (if you are not yet familiar with it). For me, watching this with hardly any knowledge of what it was, was like being introduced to someone who was to become a life long friend. I wouldn't say it doesn't have its little faults here and there like any ambitious original narrative, but they are so overwhelmed by the essence of this story they just melt into insignificance. This is marvelous film making, film making for adults.

P.S. I'll allow myself just one opinion on it, and that is on the performance of PS. Wow - such a personal portrayal, completely unafraid of baring his soul, it looks more like a man turning up for psychotherapy than simple acting. Pretty memorable. Sorry, two then - the screenplay is fabulous, very mature.

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Reviews


A soul-baring character study from the man who claimed he didn't know himself
Review date: 2006-10-03 Rating: 10 out of 10

Along with Being There, Dr. Strangelove, a rarity called The Optimists and Lolita, this ranks among Peter Sellers' finest dramatic performances. As the story unfolds, fans who know Sellers only as Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther films may wonder, even recoil, at his choice of this role. For, although Benjamin Hoffman is an ostensibly respected, successful businessman, at an emotional and personal level he is a desperate, devious and downright nasty guy who is blackmailing his secretary to spend a week in his bed. He hopes, anyway--and expects, for the purpose of a consummated union. As if the currency of his physical demands could satisfy his emotional bills.

Why, indeed, did Peter Sellers want us to care about this apparently despicable fellow? Why, as always, does he use humor to humanize and expose the vulnerability and sensitivity of this otherwise unlikable chap? Why does he want us to look deeper, to understand that beneath Hoffman's embittered surface lie hopes, dreams, a heart that was betrayed?

For years, Sellers claimed publicly that his own identity eluded him; that, if asked to play himself, he would not have the first idea how to do so. His choice of the role of Benjamin Hoffman is a resounding testament as close to an admission of self-perception as you're likely to find. I believe that he did recognize his own shortcomings, but he could only admit them to himself from the safe distance of a role.

In any case, this is a really beautiful performance from Sellers. How bold it must have been, by late 1960s standards, to portray with such depth the loneliness, desperation, borderline neurosis of a man facing middle age alone. The chemistry between Sellers and Sinead Cusack as the young and reluctant secretary is terrific. And as always, Sellers brings to bear his amazing insight into human frailty to make us laugh, to redeem this tortured soul, Hoffman.

If you're looking for a movie with something deeper than the technology-laden plots and superficially written characters we see all too often these days, have a look at this. The ending, albeit dreamily optimistic, is heartwarming and hopeful, and I think you'll find you do care about Hoffman.


not for laughs but smiles
Review date: 2006-04-24 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is one of my favourite films. It is a gem technically, great for late 60s period nostalgia, acting, script, film making and charm. It is a witty (and satirical) kitchen sink drama, but it is not for those who only want Peter Sellers the comedian. It is beautifully made, in colour, with a haunting score by Ron Grainer, and it is one of the best British films of the 60s. Magical.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Sinéad Cusack
Jeremy Bulloch
Peter Sellers
Ruth Dunning
David Lodge

Creators:
Peter Sellers (Primary Contributor)
Sinéad Cusack (Primary Contributor)
Gerry Turpin (Cinematographer)
Barrie Vince (Editor)
Ben Arbeid (Producer)
Ernest Gebler (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Momentum Pictures
Manufacturer: Momentum Pictures
EAN: 5060021175854
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2002-07-08
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.75:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 107 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1971-08
Language: English (Original Language)

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