Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Python Hyena The Night Listener (2006): Dir: Patrick Stettner / Cast: Robin Williams, Toni Collette, Rory Culkin, Sandra Oh, Bobby Cannavale: Well made thriller about understanding what we do not see or grasp. Robin Williams stars as a gay radio host who receives a book about the sexual abuse of a teenage male. Eventually they communicate by phone until Williams begins to question the existence of the boy thus sending him on a quest to discover hard facts. Director Patrick Stettner does a fine job at placing viewers in the same position as Williams wondering what truths lie beneath the phone conversations. Williams does a wonderful job as someone who just ended a relationship and consuming his time within this bizarre situation only to form doubts himself. Despite this he deals with it through radio where he can possibly isolate himself or limited interactions with people. Toni Collette plays a blind woman whom Williams believes is the boy's keeper. We are at odds with her just as Williams is. Rory Culkin appears as the teenager whose existence is questionable. Unfortunately Sandra Oh is given little to do, which is a waste given her wonderful work in Sideways. Occasionally creepy with elements of mystery the film is well made and leaves viewers guessing and sometimes a tad too confused. It regards trauma and the decision to move on with life. Score: 8 / 10

brchthethird While I wasn't quite sure what to expect, THE NIGHT LISTENER turned out to be a dark and unnerving psychological thriller. Robin Williams plays Gabriel Noon(e), a radio talk show host who tells deeply personal (but often fictionalized) stories. After separating from his companion (Bobby Cannavale), he is given an advance copy of a 14-year-old boy's memoir by a publisher friend that recounts a childhood filled with sexual abuse. He also carries on a long telephone relationship with the boy. However, when the boy's existence starts to come into question, he starts an investigation that ends up creating more questions than answering them.What immediately struck me about this film was the disquieting mood created by the score and cinematography. Some of my favorite thrillers, regardless of narrative merits, have been able to hold my interest due to the atmospheres they create, and this is no exception. Robin Williams gives a wonderfully understated, yet nuanced, performance that ranks among his better, darker dramatic roles. Bobby Cannavale also does an excellent job, despite his limited screen time. However, the revelation was Toni Colette as Donna Logand, Pete's (Rory Culkin) foster mother. Her portrayal of a blind woman who may have some mental issues was effectively creepy and really got under my skin.Story-wise, I was almost gripped from start to finish. The first two-thirds were as good as any thriller I've seen recently, but the ending was a bit rushed in my opinion. The biggest theme tackled is about when the line between truth and fiction is blurred. This is first exemplified by the character of Gabriel Noon(e), who admittedly mines his own personal life for stories while leaving out all but the "shiny bits." This doesn't seem to bother him, except when he encounters it in another human being. It was an interesting topic for a movie, but I don't think that the film really delves into it the way it deserved. Overall, you end up with a decent psychological thriller that's well-acted but, at an anemic 80 minutes, could have been beefed up a little more.

mikey16465 Starring: Robin Williams as Gabriel No oneToni Collette as Donna D. LogandRory Culkin as Pete D. LogandSandra OH as Anna The Night Listener is a tightly made psychological suspense film. The film crept up in 2006. It is an eerie tale that wraps you in slowly, with its character development and involvement. Its themes linger long after the film is over.Gabriel No one (played by Robin Williams) is a late night radio talk show host. In the beginning of the film Gabriel narrates an unusual tale, telling of his latest encounter to his listeners. His narration continues throughout the production, detailing some situations as a means of providing character development. He describes his job, which is telling stories, often exaggerated but somewhat based in truth. In this instance he wants his audience to be aware that he will try his best not to fabricate or exaggerate this tale, although it may seem exaggerated and unbelievable, this is a true story. Gabriel No one is vulnerable due to his separation with is his partner Jess (played by Bobby Cannavale) of eight years. He is having a difficult time coping, and is unable to work with this and other distractions. After one of his work sessions, Gabriel's boss discusses an idea for a book that they could author. The basis is a manuscript written by a young fourteen year old boy. The boy's story is about his up-bringing, and of the abuse that he had suffered. Gabriel takes an interest in the boy who is named Peter Logand (played by Rory Culkin) and in his adopted mother Donna Logand (played by Toni Collette). After reading the details of the boy's encounters, and learning of his and his families troubling and disturbing behavior, Gabriel understood why the boy had been affected physically and psychologically.Gabriel's state of vulnerably made the relationship with Pete all the easier. He could empathize with the boy. He took time to communicate with him and took the time necessary to share quality time with him. As their relationship grows through private communication over the phone, Gabriel's only sense is visualizing the family in his mind. One day while Gabriel's power was out, Jess observed the phone call while fixing Gabriel's power, Jess told him that the boy and Donnas' voice were the very same. The result was Gabriel's examination of all that he had accepted as true. Gabriel gained more curiosity and interest and a strong desire to unlock the mystery of the family. There is a parallel between the characters of Gabriel and Donna, they both create stories and ideas that are intended to attract the interest of others. Gabriel used parts of his relationship to create stories for his show, while Donna takes the idea further.Robin Williams's portrayal of Gabriel No one resulted in a very convincing performance which is as memorable as his 2002 film One Hour Photo. He plays the character with such great venerability and emotion, that you believe he is Gabriel No one and share in his concerns as he experiences the complexities of his relationships. Having Pete in his life lessens his plight as it addresses the void, the emptiness in his life.Toni Collette (Donna) delivers the most chilling performance in the film in spite of being cast in a role that must have been difficult to portray, a character that has many different kinds of psychological disorders. When it is realized that this film is based on a true story it is even more chilling. A terrifying, unsettling mood envelopes you, as it is learned that some among us in reality have this factual disorder. Patrick Stettner directed this piece. The phone conversations through the first half of the film were brilliantly done, showing the perspective of Gabriel's initial understanding of Peter and Donna. This serves to intensify the mood as he is forced to alter his perceptions as his view of reality changes in the second half of the film.This film is very good; however, it may be too intense. Perhaps what is keeping it from being an excellent film is the humor or lack of it. Humor could have been used to ease the tension of the suspense at the same time intensifying it, by providing a contrast to the continual unbroken drama. All other aspects exceeded well beyond the typical suspense film especially the development of thought-provoking characters, action and settings which varied in atmosphere from the contrast of New York's brightly lit day to dark and cold wintery Wisconsin. The director of photography Lisa Rinzler created a scene in particular that was startling at the hospital, where Gabriel went into the parking garage and through the dank hallway with little to no light. Making the scene all the more creepy and unsettling, upon being discovered, showing his expression of fright, and displaying more darkness and dinginess with pipes dripping as Gabriel descends out of the bottom of a unkempt hospital. This is a truly memorable scene. I highly recommend viewing this film. It may be especially beneficial to those studying psychology. Thoughts of events and emotional experiences developed in this film will linger in your mind long after the film is over.Rating: 3 ½ out of 4

The_Matrix_Rocks It is always interesting when Robin Williams strays outside the space in which he is most effective (or not, as some may argue).As in "Insomnia" and "One Hour Photo", his character here is more complex. Williams plays an acclaimed writer, Gabriel No one, who has also parlayed his writing into a successful late night radio show.Williams' troubles start when an avid fan makes contact with him during a slump period in his career and personal life. The fan is a boy with a terminal condition who starts sharing stories of the terrible abuse he suffered while growing up.As the relationship deepens, a more sinister aspect emerges, and the movie shifts into a mystery mode.The problem is that the pace is too slow, and it becomes clear too early in the plot what is going on. The story also fails to build interest or anxiety especially around the imperilment of Williams' character.And that's ultimately a casting problem, because in concept there's actually nothing wrong.