Love Liza

Philip Seymour Hoffman fails to carry this 2002 indie feature about a Web designer spiraling downward in the wake of his wife’s unexplained suicide. For all the possibilities inherent in such a premise, neither writer Gordy Hoffman (the actor’s brother) nor director Todd Louiso has found a way to realize any of them fully. Kathy Bates, who can do no wrong, is a rock of strength as Hoffman’s mother-in-law, and giving her more screen time might have been fruitful. With Wilson Joel and Mary Ann Bankhead. 93 min. (JR) Read more