Movie Review: The Night Listener (2004)
Synopsis: Gabriel Noone is a successful gay radio talk show host but is in a funk because of relationship problems. He gets a bit of a boost when he talks over the phone to a dying 14-year-old fan who is about to publish an emotional book about his troubled past. However, when Gabriel begins to doubt the boy really exists, he becomes obsessed with finding proof.
Who's in it? The movie stars Robin Williams, Toni Collette, Rory Culkin, Joe Morton and Bobby Cannavale.
Review: Robin Williams was a comedy legend, but I've always thought he was equally as good in dramatic roles. So, when I came across The Night Listener again and realized it had been a long while since I last watched it, I decided to give it another try.
I wasn't disappointed.
Williams brings a lot to the role of Gabriel Noone. It's a character that needs believable emotion and he pulls it off perfectly, with just the right mixture of over-the-top while not reaching a point it is too much.
What really won me over about this movie, however, was the mystery. At first, his relationship with the AIDS-infected Pete (Culkin) seemed legitimate. However, once his boyfriend (Cannavale) pointed out the similarities between Pete's voice and that of Pete's mom (Collette), things quickly spiraled out of control for him and Pete's existence was truly in doubt.
I especially liked how the film keeps Pete's existence in doubt until the very end. There is a good mix of evidence of his existence and evidence he isn't real. Way too many movies let the cat out of the bag way too early, and this film's writers seemed to understand that doesn't usually work out well.
I personally wasn't sure if Pete was real, if he was figment of his mother's imagination or if Gabriel himself was having some sort of mental breakdown and was imagining both of them. As a result of that, I didn't even care the film didn't quite fit its "thriller" description.
Final Opinion: It's probably not a film for everyone, but Williams' performance and a complex but intriguing premise did make this a fun film to watch. It is one I would recommend as a result.
My Grade: B
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Here are some reviews of other movies from 2004:
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