Review of Tootsie (1982) by Wayne K — 22 Apr 2017

It's been said that the most serious of issues that we face can be examined most effectively through jokes, and Tootsie, for the most part, aptly demonstrates that philosophy. Powered by a fantastic central performance by Hoffman, essentially lampooning his own acting methodologies and temperament, he gets a first-hand experience of how the other half lives, learning much about not only the attitudes of others, but his own.

His performance is joyously complimented by a vivacious Jessica Lange, always smiling and looking like the happiest person in the world while hiding a vulnerability just beneath the surface. Much of the humour stems from the razor-sharp dialogue, with classic, quotable one-liners firing off in all directions.

Method acting is well known to make a person difficult to get along with and even a little dangerous, and Hoffman's deep ingratiation with his creation is a wonderfully comedic but also strikingly poignant representation of this, analysing and dissecting issues of sexism and ageism which he never even considered beforehand.

The film flounders in its final act, where the characters succumb to the Hollywood syndrome of no longer acting like real human beings, never offering simple explanations and constantly saying the wrong thing for no logical reason, and while it offers up a fantastic premise, it's essentially wastes it with a deflating ending made more for pleasing the masses than challenging them.

But these flaws are more than overshadowed by the upsides. A comedy gem, still treasured all these years later, Tootsie is a must-see for lovers of comedy, drama and fabulous dresses.