Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- bleak
- darkly comic
- quiet night
- character drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly found Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance magnetic and the situations inventive, while judging the thin character development and absent story arc unsatisfying.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Wilson’s gasoline and model-fuel inhalation provide bizarre, morbidly comic behavior within an otherwise painful portrait of bereavement.
Wilson repeatedly inhales gasoline and model-airplane fuel to obtain temporary relief from grief.
Wilson remains trapped in dazed grief after his wife’s suicide, with the story organized around repeated efforts to find relief rather than clear transformation.
Wilson finds provisional solace among remote-control model enthusiasts while seeking escape from his home and work life.
Films like Love Liza, and why
Leaving Las Vegas
shared grief-stricken protagonist, substance abuse, bleakly comic tone, and intense lead performance
The Savages
shared dark comedy, emotional isolation, self-destructive behavior, and abrasive human vulnerability
The Beaver
shared melancholic character study, deadpan humor, depression, and unconventional coping mechanisms
Movie Details
- Director
- Todd Louiso
- Release Date
- 2002-12-30
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (123)
Cast
- Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Jack Kehler
- Sarah Koskoff
- Stephen Tobolowsky
- Erika Alexander
- Shannon Holt
- Kevin Breznahan
- Daniel Farber
- Kelli Garner
- Chris Ellis
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Love Liza about?
- A grieving widower pursues chemical oblivion through gasoline fumes and model-airplane escapism in a bleakly comic portrait of depression.
- What is Love Liza like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Love Liza as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Love Liza violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Love Liza as mild.
- What did critics think of Love Liza?
- Critics broadly found Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance magnetic and the situations inventive, while judging the thin character development and absent story arc unsatisfying.
- Which films are like Love Liza?
- Films with a similar feel include Leaving Las Vegas, The Savages, and The Beaver.
- How long is Love Liza?
- Love Liza runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Love Liza?
- In United States, Love Liza is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
