An Unflattering Light

     The world lost a great talent, with the passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was a superb director and actor. He raised the level of his craft to art, never backing away from transcendent truths, beautiful or ugly, in the characters he acted. Precise imitation, mimicry, was not Hoffman's only genius. His genius was his refusal to prejudge a character or an audience. In performance, Hoffman simply did not possess a truth filter, so his performances resonated with stage and film audiences alike.
     Hoffman's 2005 portrayal of Truman Capote, the author of "In Cold Blood", revealed more than the brilliance of the writer, or his descent into the desolation of murder and retribution. Hoffman laid bare Capote's vanity and superficiality in a cocktail party landscape. Add more than a touch of the effeminate, and Capote surfaced as an intellectual elitist, as well as an old-fashioned flamer. Layer by layer Hoffman revealed the the intelligent, sensitive, writer we recognized. Truman Capote shared Philip Seymour Hoffman's capacity to grasp the humanity in broken characters; taking us from annoyance, to squeamish discomfort, to hot tears. It may not have been a defining role for Hoffman (no such role existed,) but he was awarded multiple acting awards for "Capote", one, the 2005 Oscar for Best Actor.  
     He was nominated for three other, supporting, roles in film. However his film acting, as magical as it was, never equaled his greatness onstage. He was theater in New York, during his stage career. Three Tony nominations, one for the role of Willy Loman in Miller's Death of a Salesman, barely cover the awards Hoffman won. Wikipedia provides a more complete list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Philip_Seymour_Hoffman

The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you’re uncool. -Philip Seymour Hoffman

     In person, Hoffman was the coolest and most uncool individual anyone could conjure. Unlike many ambitious celebrities, he maintained a private persona. By all accounts he was a great heart. The man, himself, was as candid about his flaws in interviews as he was about the demands of his art. The tragedy was not his second descent into addiction, although it is terrible to contemplate his struggle to stay free of alcohol and drugs. The tragedy is to characterize him as a victim of disease; it would be unjust to portray the man as other than a creative genius with a prolific career. Here is a link to a list of ten films, featuring performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman. You know what to do:
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/philip-seymour-hoffmans-top-10-film-roles-20140203-31wlu.html
     Someday we will all die. With any luck nobody will point to our most glaring flaws, let alone, to whatever proved fatal. Personally I'd prefer to skip the obit, funeral, or memorial service. Neither religious, nor particularly sentimental, I know my friends and family will avoid the so-called celebration of life. Somebody will just, raise a glass, L'chai-im!