The Night Listener

Let me start off by saying that I knew this movie was going to be short. Before I put the disk into my machine, I made sure to check the runtime. 82 min. Wow - that's unreal. For a movie as complex as this, I'm still wondering where the other half hour of the film went. And to have only one deleted scene on the DVD still boggled my mind.

Robin Williams plays a gay late night radio show host who is going through difficult times. His lover has recently decided to leave him, and for some reason, he can no longer progress with his show. He receives a rough draft of a book created by a 14-year-old boy from a friend of his. As Williams discovers, the boy recreates the abuse he suffered of being a sexually abused child in his book. As the movie progresses, Williams finally is contacted by the young boy via telephone. The film is about their not-so-normal relationship.

I remember as the credits rolled, I myself rolled over in my bed with the covers over my head screaming "Why?! Why?!" But as I digest the film more, I come to understand the elements of why things had to be the way they were. Yes, the movie was short. Yes, I wish it was longer. But that's the way things are when you have a short movie that you enjoy. You want it to be longer. Even crazed LotR fans thought Return of the King didn't give them enough. Maybe I was just so interested in the film that I too hadn't had my fair share of blood.

The thing I really enjoyed about this movie was the mysteries of the plot. Sure, there might have been a few plot holes, but what movie goes an hour before someone is saying, in their head or out loud, "Yeah right - there's no way that would happen." I even caught myself saying it once or twice in this film. But that's the thing about movies. They're not real. They take us to a place where doors can be unlocked, and people can get away from the police. Not only did this movie twist you upside down, it took you for an emotional rollercoaster as well. Movies are here to entertain and educate, and although I wasn't educated much by this picture, I felt quite entertained.

Robin Williams was spectacular. His portrail of Gabriel still has me smiling. He radiates a sense of love and a fragileness that is often sought yet never reached in hollywood today. It has been some time since I actually cared for a character in a film, good or bad, especially in a movie as short as this, but Gabriel kept me interested. He kept me guessing, and that's something movies today just haven't done. He created real emotion, for me, through his body language, his tone, his words, and his understanding of the character itself. I have to applaud the script in this film because there wasn't one moment that I can remember saying, "Hmmm - that's not how people talk" or "that sounded really dumb." Williams makes dialogue flow so naturally that I feel like I've known him my entire life. It's crucial that the main character in this film can constantly provide us with emotions, and Williams showed up to the plate.

As far as the supporting cast went, I wasn't really impressed. This was Robin's movie, and I suppose that I wasn't expecting anyone to really take it away. The film gave me reminders of The Mothman Prophecies at times, with all the mystery and dark atmosphere. Your typical thriller includes a cold dark setting for a man who's running to find all of the answers. But the thing about this movie is that Gabriel (Williams) is human. He's an older man. He can get hurt, physically and emotionally. You can see it as he continues along. He's not some "super-hero, break into anything I want and find the answers which aren't there now but will lead me to something later" type of character. He's a man. And I think that's his appeal, to me anyhow.

All the technical aspects of the film were there. I wasn't astonished by any camera angles or sound editing, but it all came together for me to provide an enjoyable film. In the end, the movie gave me an overwhelming feeling of wanting to watch it again, and that hasn't happened for some time. I feel in no way that I would have been robbed $6.50 for going to see this movie, and you shouldn't either. We all have 82 minutes to spare - give this one a shot. I think you'll be surprised.

7.25 of 10.