“The Night Listener” (Miramax)
If Robin Williams Calls, Hang Up
In “The Night Listener” Robin Williams plays a deeply dramatic character. This seems to be his new thing. Every so often he will take on a role that challenges his dramatic skills, and presents him in a manner opposite his better known persona as a comic. Sometimes he is successful in doing this but at other times he fails. His role in “The Night Listener” goes into the failed category.
Williams plays Gabriel Noone, a man who reads stories he has composed over the radio airwaves. One of his fans is a fourteen-year-old boy named Pete (Rory Culkin). Pete lives in the Midwest with his foster mother Donna (Toni Collette). He has had a difficult life as he was sexually abused as a child. Now he is in frail health and goes in and out of hospitals.
Pete and Noone strike up a friendship. Noone’s ex-lover Jess (Bobby Cannavale) is suspicious of Pete and says that he and Donna sound too much alike on the phone. He thinks the whole thing is a hoax. Gabriel is at first angered by Jess’ suppositions but eventually begins to question the whole situation. He decides he will fly to the Midwest and try to track down Donna and Pete.
Once Gabriel begins his search for the elusive two the movie falls apart. Noone’s actions while on the hunt for information are irrational and stupid. He hounds people, breaks the law, and generally makes a nuisance of himself. He acts like he is justified in taking whatever actions necessary to try to find out the truth.
This is supposed to make for a psychological thriller but it doesn’t. It just makes for a movie out of control that takes itself and its subject matter much too seriously. Supposedly based on a true story, it all falls apart at the end and becomes funny instead of frightening.
Williams’ performance as Noone is mannered and stilted. It never rings true and is almost painful at times to watch. Opposite him Collette doesn’t fare much better. Her role is not very clearly defined and she spends the entire movie trying to figure out who and what Donna is. If she ever gets that answer she never passes it on to the audience.
The movie is rated R for profanity and mild violence.
“The Night Listener” wants to be taken seriously but it is pretentious and silly. Williams postured performance doesn’t help either. He and the movie appear to be in on some inside joke that is never revealed to the audience. Listen to me and do not give “The Night Listener” your time or your money.
I scored “The Night Listener” a disconnected 4 out of 10.
