The Movie: The Night Listener, directed by Patrick Stettner
Recommendation: Nobody!
Reason: I was vaguely aware of this movie when it was quietly released, and I was interested in Toni Collette's other work after seeing Little Miss Sunshine.
This film was a good way to pass some time. I can't really give it overwhelming praise, but it was a good, understated movie that was perhaps a little shallow for its subject matter. The search for identity and truth amidst the turmoil of the loss of a relationship is great fodder for a film of depth. Unfortunately, through either the scripting or the direction, The Night Listener simply didn't reach far enough.
Robin Williams was incredibly low-key in this film, so restrained, in fact, that he was almost unrecognizable. That's a good thing, because he managed to be believable, intelligent and sympathetic. Toni Collette on the other hand, was a mess. I don't just refer to the situation of her character, more to the misuse of her presence. She's a good actress, very solid as we've seen in Little Miss Sunshine. I don't believe she was given good direction here.
The pacing of the film was a little off too. With so much time spent on the 'opening', so to speak, the real meat of the story was left off to the bitter end. The result came across a little anemic. However, it did have its good points. The subtlety with which the relationship between Noone and Jess was treated was excellent. The 'investigation' Noone undertakes was realistic and made some degree of sense. Sandra Oh's character was a bright spot of interest. The film wasn't all weak, but it wasn't strong, either.
-156/365 down, 209/365 to go
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment