There are some people who, despite the tragedy which befalls them, are able to move on with their lives without letting the pain become so all-consuming as to stop all conscious action. There are others, however, for whom loss and pain become synonymous of living in a state of arrested development that eventually spins out of control. This is the case of Wilson Joel (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who, after his wife Liza has killed herself, sees little reason to go on with his life and eventually stops going to work to nurture a growing addiction to gasoline. At 89 minutes, LOVE LIZA tries to tell an honest story of a man unable to pick himself up and move on, but because the man in question isn't quite sympathetic and scenes wander without an apparent purpose it seems a little too long, and when a crucial confrontation scene with his mother-in-law (Kathy Bates) arrives, it feels very belated and we understand that Wilson may not return to his former life. Too depressing at times, this is only for indie aficionados.