Surrealist adaptation of Arthur Miller's famed play about ageing travelling salesman Willy (Hoffman) struggling to come to grips with generational change, who feels betrayed by his sons who've failed to live up to the unrealistic expectations he has for them as captains of industry.
Malkovich is the highlight playing Biff an underachiever desperate to find his own path, Lang too is effective as his less assertive brother Happy, and veteran Canadian actress Reid excels playing Willy's long suffering wife trying to keep her fragile family from falling apart, loyal to her husband's anachronistic ways and also her children who are starting to embrace more contemporary lifestyles. Linda Kozlowski also appears in a small role as a restaurant patron, holding her own in little more than five minutes of screen time.
Makeup and props gets Hoffman into the role, but unlike Lee J. Cobb who was in his late-30s when he originated the role, he still seemed too young to transform into Willy Loman, his movement stilted and appearing unnatural, the light in his eyes defying the rigours of a tired life now coming to an ignominious end. I was glad to see him tackle a more dramatic role considering his move away from more serious themes by the mid-80s, notwithstanding, he's not right for this part.
An ensemble effort to translate the 1949 stage for the 1985 screen and still manage to captivate an audience, but certainly not the best of its breed.
Malkovich is the highlight playing Biff an underachiever desperate to find his own path, Lang too is effective as his less assertive brother Happy, and veteran Canadian actress Reid excels playing Willy's long suffering wife trying to keep her fragile family from falling apart, loyal to her husband's anachronistic ways and also her children who are starting to embrace more contemporary lifestyles. Linda Kozlowski also appears in a small role as a restaurant patron, holding her own in little more than five minutes of screen time.
Makeup and props gets Hoffman into the role, but unlike Lee J. Cobb who was in his late-30s when he originated the role, he still seemed too young to transform into Willy Loman, his movement stilted and appearing unnatural, the light in his eyes defying the rigours of a tired life now coming to an ignominious end. I was glad to see him tackle a more dramatic role considering his move away from more serious themes by the mid-80s, notwithstanding, he's not right for this part.
An ensemble effort to translate the 1949 stage for the 1985 screen and still manage to captivate an audience, but certainly not the best of its breed.