Movie Review: The Night Listener

[theoldwolf]

Based on a true account, this is a disturbing psychodrama, but a well-executed one that asks some good questions about the nature of relationships and how far we will go to create/preserve them. Williams is convincing in the role of a gay radio host who gets drawn into a relationship with a woman and her son. Williams' character is struggling with the breakup of his own relationship, and he forms a connection with Donna Logand, in order to help her adopted son Peter, an abused boy who is very ill from AIDS. As the story unfolds, Williams' character begins to have stronger and stronger doubts as to whether the boy exists at all. To say more would be to take some of the zing out of the viewing experience.

The most unusual thing about this film is that it doesn't begin to compare with the strangeness of the circumstances surrounding the actual events.

The subject material is gritty, and the language is free-flowing and coarse, but you couldn't tell this story honestly without it. Probably not for the faint of heart who like unicorns and flowers.

Overall Rating: Eight out of Ten Stars