B+


I have seen Tenderness a while back at the Fantasy Film Festival. It was very much unlike most films shown at there as it is not horror or dark comedy, not sci-fi and not even a full-on thriller. Tenderness, the adaptation of Robert Cormier's novel by the same name is a slow-burning psychological drama with some thriller elements. The plot deals with three characters: a teen released from juvenile detainment after three years where he was for killing his parents (light punishment because he was on anti-depressants at the time of the kill), a disturbed and weird teen girl from a fractured family who becomes obsessed with him and an almost retired police officer who has made this teen the case of his life as he believes that he's a psychopath and a serial killer. The officer, played by Russell Crowe, has some family problems of his own.

Tenderness is one of those films that leave you uncertain as to what to think of it until the very end. It seems to lead nowhere most of the time, the action just flowing along with little aim or purpose. Jon Polson’s direction is rather plain which is not surprising considering his previous “gems” like Swimfan and Hide & Seek. However the screenplay he’s working with is pretty strong. With several small clues and hints (not too hard to piece together) it all comes down to a satisfying conclusion at the end. Among the film’s most successful aspects is the psychological touch. Unlike the ridiculous portrayal of some disorders and mental illnesses in some films this one is actually spot on on a lot of stuff and that is admirable. Going too much into the specifics would spoil a lot of the film, but what needs to be said is that the three main characters are all deeply disturbed in their own way. Russell Crowe delivers yet another solid performance, but surprisingly Jon Foster and Sophie Traub as the other two leads can stand their own very well, in particular Traub. All of the characters are meaty and well-written and the actors do them justice. Laura Dern does well in her short appearance too. While there’s no big message delivered at the film’s end it still ties everything together pretty well. I wasn’t too fond of the fate of Traub’s character but it fit into the plot of the film.

The film could have used some better pacing and editing, though. Some of the clues the film reveals are a bit too early on in the process only to have a fairly empty stretch of about 20 minutes during the film. All in all, however, I was pleasantly surprised. The film takes its time to reveal the audiences its intentions, but it's well-thought-out, conclusive and superbly acted. With a better director on board it could have been something really special but we’re still left with a solid psychological drama.