Night Listener

"The Night Listener" tries hard to be a psychologically thrilling movie that keeps you guessing until the end. The problem is, you still really don't have all the answers when it's over.

Robin Williams stars as Gabriel Noone, a public radio storyteller who has a very loyal audience. His listeners are mostly drawn to his stories of his relationship with his boyfriend Jess (Bobby Cannavale) who has AIDS. After Jess goes into remission, he moves out of the apartment to have some space. Without Jess around, Gabriel feels the loss both emotionally and creatively. He is unable to develop new stories for his radio show.

Along comes Pete (Rory Culkin), a 14-year old who had been physically and sexually abused by his parents for years. Pete now lives with Donna, a social worker (Toni Collette) who has adopted him. Pete and Gabriel instantly bond on the phone when Gabriel calls to discuss the book that Pete has written. Sadly, Pete is dying of a variety of incurable diseases he contracted when being abused. Gabriel ends up developing an incredibly strong connection with both Pete and Donna.

This is when the story takes a creative twist. While visiting the apartment, Jess overhears a message on the answering machine left by Donna and Pete. He is the first to make the suggestion that they are one in the same person. Gabriel realizes that he has never met the two face to face, though he has seen a picture. He soon discovers that nobody involved has ever met the two. Obsessed with knowing the truth, Gabriel flies to Wisconsin to track them down. The rest of the movie is one twist after another, never giving away the ending. As the movie does conclude, you are left to ponder what you just saw. There are scenes where we see Pete, but from whose point of view?

Williams is both mellow and intense as the lonely radio host trying to solve a mystery. Culkin does weird-kid-with-issues as only a Culkin can. Collette is the definite stand out here, as her character evolves from motherly caretaker to obsessive fan. Overall, it's a somber story that is fully inconclusive. Any scary scenes (maybe two of them) are purely psychological. There are no thrills in this thriller, only guessing games that leave you with a headache. "The Night Listener" left me in the dark. I give it a C+.

"The Night Listener" is rated R with a running time of 91 minutes.