|
|
- The Advocate eEdition
- |
- Wedding Forms
- |
- Newsletters
- |
- Text Alerts
- |
- Mobile
- |
- RSS
- |
Storytelling, acting carry 'Listener'
Movie Review: The Night Listener
By Brett Troxler
btroxler@wbrz.com
Web Producer
|
PLAY OFFICIAL TRAILER
out of 4 stars.
Dealing with a breakup with his significant other, Jess – who served as his inspiration for eight years as the couple fought his battle with AIDS – Gabriel begins having trouble coming up with stories that meet his standards. Pulling real life events into his work, Gabriel, “like a magpie” (as he calls it) tends to keep the shiny things for himself, though the shinier objects have become harder to find given his current situation.
Things change a bit when a friend hands him an as-yet-unpublished manuscript, one apparently penned by a troubled 14-year-old fan of his, Peter Logand (Rory Culkin). The narrative recalls the grisly and perverted events surrounding his pedophilic parents and his childhood.
Gabriel befriends the boy, who is fighting a losing battle with AIDS, and the two develop a platonic relationship over the phone. At least until Gabriel begins to question the boy's existence after Jess (Bobby Cannavale) points out Pete, and his foster mom Donna (Toni Collette), sound a lot alike.
From then on Gabriel is off on a search for clues, obsessed with finding out the truth about the boy. But is it the truth Gabriel seeks, or just another good story?
From its kaleidoscope beginnings to the story’s appropriate audio resolution, this film offers moviegoers a curious, almost creepy pacing, giving off the impression something frightening could happen at any moment. “The Night Listener” boils down to a man telling a story, and listening is certainly a big part of understanding things as they unfold.
Narration and conversations – both on and off the phone – play important roles in moving the plot along in the early going, so paying attention is important if you are the type that likes to avoid being confused. And as things move on and the storyline becomes a little clearer, you’ll begin to understand, looking back, you might have been seeing Gabriel’s impressions of certain situations and not necessarily their realities.
Robin Williams lends his voice to radio once again, and puts in what is certainly one of the better performances of his career (see also “Good Will Hunting,” “Good Morning Vietnam,” “Dead Poets Society”), but Toni Collette does her best to pull the spotlight in her direction in her role as Donna, Pete's blind foster parent. Despite limited screen time, Collette slides right into her role, soaking in the character’s sullen moods and eventual sharp temper, all the while convincing the audience she is as blind as they come. The rest of the supporting cast – Sandra Oh, Culkin and Cannavale – make the most of their minutes on screen.
If you are a fan of a good mystery, enjoy storytelling with a few subtle literary tie-ins, or you just like a well-acted movie, “The Night Listener” is definitely for you. Judging by Sunday’s audience attendance at one Baton Rouge theater, though, several people missed out on a good movie this past weekend.
