C-, or *1/2

Probably the very definition of a pointless film. It has a nice visual style, and Robin Williams is great, but nothing ever happens. The film is at the exact same point it's in when it begins as it is when it ends. It's set up like a mystery or suspense film, but there is no mystery. We are let in on the secret about twenty minutes into the film, and the rest of the runtime is just about that.

Honestly, I think the film would have been far more interesting if it focused on Williams' character and how he dealt with his new found loneliness and being a single homosexual at his age, finding comfort in a relationship with a 14 year old child that may or may not be real. Instead, we only touch on that aspect briefly, and it kicks right into mystery mode, despite the fact that there is no realy mystery, and the story behind it (of a woman with a form of Munchausen by proxy).

And yes, Williams' character is a homosexual in the film - something the marketing felt the need to leave out completely, which is odd considering it plays a fairly significant role in the picture. I bring it up because several people at my screening today actually walked out when Williams' shares a kiss with his ex.

Yeah, what makeshift said. Don't waste your time or money, since the director didn't waste any in creating a movie with a point. I couldn't believe it was over when the credits started to roll, I thought something, anything was going to happen by the end of it all but nope. Just Robin Williams wandering around the dark streets of Wisconsin looking for someone that probably doesn't exist, occasionally running into a crazy blind woman and unfriendly locals. There's no mystery, no suspense, no nothing, it's just flat and completely dull. There are some interesting ideas here, and good performances (especially Toni Collette who really had the creepiness factor down), but it never goes anywhere, just spins its wheels aimlessly until it reaches its incredibly anti-climactic and unsatisfying conclusion. Worst movie I've seen in theaters this year. D+

This shocked the hell out of me, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much. Especially after the bland trailer. All of the performances were great, Robin Williams and Toni Collette turn out two of the most fantastic performances of the year here. They were both great. I loved how the movie was disturbing, it wasn't graphic in any way, but the ending sent chills up my spine. Everyone should be able to relate to it, because of people talking to people they don't know from online. How do you really know who you're talking to? You really don't. Also, Sandra Oh was really good in her small part, and she brought a bit of humor into the film. I also hated Williams' father and his boyfriend, they were asses :p. Definitely recommended!

9/10 (A-)

Also, about the secret being revealed so early in the film, I don't believe it was. I think that was just what Williams was imagining was happening. The filmmakers wouldn't be stupid enough to just let the cat out of the bag so early in the film. Especially since at the end it says if they didn't know that the kid was real or not.

A new millenium, Hitchcockian, Freudian, mind-fuckium movie that really did the trick!

Nice work by the leads, appropriately creepy psycho-sexual screenplay, and fine understated direction propels The Night Listener straight to it's logically wacked out conclusion...

5 out of 5.

B


I liked it so sue me. I understand those who say that the movie did not have much of a point, but for me it was rather fascinating since I study Psychology and the character Toni Collette plays here is really interesting. The "twist" is rather obvious early on, but that very ending with Collette moving into her new house is just great. Collette and Williams both did great, great jobs on their roles and both carried the otherwise rather shallow film on their shoulders. It is a decent effort that I hope more people will discover on DVD.

Slow and a tad boring but interesting as well. It just didn't really go anywhere but maybe it's worth one viewing.

C-
I got absolutely nothing out of this film, so it should be an F, but I'll bump it to a C for featuring gay characters and not really making an issue out of it.

A film that had the potential to be an interesting mystery flick, but managed to go absolutely nowhere by the end. D+

I saw it at the theatre in August and deeply enjoyed it. It was an effectively eerie thriller with great acting and an ending equal parts creepy and poignant. B+.

I'm with Lecter on this. Nice little flick with an overlooked performance by Toni Collette (and Robin Williams too, but specially Colette) There was a scene here with her that gave me shivers, seriously B-

Sandra Oh's micro-role was fun too!

I absolutely give this film an A. It was my second favourite film of the year.

Loved the fact that a gay relationship was presented as-is, without making any big statements - this was a film with a gay relationship, not about one. Loved the whole terminal illness/ got better and didn't need him subplot.

Found Robin Williams very plausible, but would be interested to hear what a gay guy thought about that.

Found it incredibly atmospheric and creepy - from that killer line ("I think it's the same person") to the scene in the house, to the scene in the hospital, all the way to the last time that he sees her. In fact, I'd say that "atmospheric" is my word for this film. It's a study in atmosphere, right from the first frame (a radio studio full of cigarette smoke - "Yeah, we'll try it like that," or whatever it is that he says).

My only complaint was, it doesn't have a very climactic ending or a twist or anything - but I've since come to terms with that. I've read and loved novels that don't have the traditional build, build, BAM! format, so why should I expect it from a film? If anything, my initial slight confusion when the credits rolled is a symptom of how samey some films are. Elsewhere, I've complained that M Night S shouldn't rely so heavily on the big twist, so I shouldn't have been so surprised by a film that didn't have one. This had enough substance and sustained quality not to need it (I thought).

I HATED this film. The only reason why I won't give this an F is because of the performances by Williams and Collete as well as the scene where Williams gets tasered by the trooper. That had to be one of the most unintentionally funny scenes from all of last year.

D

Yeah, it was a great turn by an always-great actress. Neat film which presents some very interesting ideas. Don't understand the hatred for it.

I'm with Lecter...

Interesting film with an interesting (if very obvious and overused twist) that provides a nice psychological drama (not really a thriller). There were several interesting parts of the film and even though I figured out the twist pretty early, as like I said it is pretty overused these days, it just worked.

My gripes though are that as someone said it didn't delve into William's character enough, or Collette's. If it had been more of a character study on them then perhaps it would have been a better film overall.

Still, it was decent entertainment, but not great, though it did have the potential. B-

The acting was great. The directing had a nice unique flair, although it wasn't too strong. I liked it. The screenplay was a mess though. the characters weren't very strong, and it kept switching between character study to mystery to thriller (which in part is due to the directing, I know). And, as said before, there wasn't a point. The constant flip-flopping prevented any real point form being made apparent.

C-

B

An amazing thriller with excellent performances.