Hoffman could be the best character actor of his generation. He's
unusually willing to walk the tightrope of audience sympathy: the
parts he chooses aren't obviously likeable, but he plays them with such
unflinching honesty that you can't help but be drawn in. His speciality
is sexual discomfort; in Boogie Nights and Happiness, he found a way to
make frustrated, needy losers fascinating. Equally impressive is his
obnoxious rich boy (Scent Of A Woman, Ripley), and its opposite, his
compassionate carer (Magnolia). With meaty roles in David Mamet's
State And Main and Joel Schumacher's Flawless, Hoffman is deservedly
moving centre stage.
