...and "Tenderness," the very talented director, John "FlashForward" Polson and equally talented writer, Emil "The Life Before Her Eyes" Stern, have crafted a fine adaptation of Robert "The Chocolate War" Cormier's novel that manages to remain true to the source despite certain alterations. I base this on secondhand references, not having read Cormier's book, but have been motivated to put it on order at my library solely on the basis of this film. That's how good it is.
[11.11.11 edit: library copy summarily read; some details are changed, but the core story remains essentially the same. The changes to the cop were obviously to get Crowe on board, and to the final climax of the plot to accommodate audience expectations. A decent, quick read]
Although Russell "Romper Stomper" Crowe gets top billing (an obvious move to gain an audience), his supporting role of persistent cop is really that of a framework voice-over, and his performance is competent enough, even if any of dozens of "lesser" actors could have assayed the character perfectly well; the story truly belongs to Jon "my older brother is better known" Foster as a young sociopath recently released from prison for the murder of his parents, and Sophie "still learning the business" Traub as the troubled teen who imagines she's in love with him. Both fledgling actors more than hold their own against Crowe by forming a relationship that both intrigues and mystifies its audience; check out Traub's spot-on expressions in scene after scene, or those on Foster as he seeks to restrain inner demons. I suspect the book does a better job of explication of motive, but the themes of isolation and yearning that run through the film are compelling enough to carry the story forward to its bittersweet conclusion.
"Tenderness" is nicely lensed by longtime Clint Eastwood collaborator, Tom "I've worked with his daughter, too" Stern, and moodily scored by television workhorse, Jonathan "I'm not the guy who sells beer" Goldsmith. Shot in and around Buffalo, NY, the film sports an anywhere vibe that overrides the specificity of its setting, emphasizing the universality of its themes. All in all, a fine piece of indie filmmaking. Highly recommended to all devotees of quality under-the-radar movies.
[11.11.11 edit: library copy summarily read; some details are changed, but the core story remains essentially the same. The changes to the cop were obviously to get Crowe on board, and to the final climax of the plot to accommodate audience expectations. A decent, quick read]
Although Russell "Romper Stomper" Crowe gets top billing (an obvious move to gain an audience), his supporting role of persistent cop is really that of a framework voice-over, and his performance is competent enough, even if any of dozens of "lesser" actors could have assayed the character perfectly well; the story truly belongs to Jon "my older brother is better known" Foster as a young sociopath recently released from prison for the murder of his parents, and Sophie "still learning the business" Traub as the troubled teen who imagines she's in love with him. Both fledgling actors more than hold their own against Crowe by forming a relationship that both intrigues and mystifies its audience; check out Traub's spot-on expressions in scene after scene, or those on Foster as he seeks to restrain inner demons. I suspect the book does a better job of explication of motive, but the themes of isolation and yearning that run through the film are compelling enough to carry the story forward to its bittersweet conclusion.
"Tenderness" is nicely lensed by longtime Clint Eastwood collaborator, Tom "I've worked with his daughter, too" Stern, and moodily scored by television workhorse, Jonathan "I'm not the guy who sells beer" Goldsmith. Shot in and around Buffalo, NY, the film sports an anywhere vibe that overrides the specificity of its setting, emphasizing the universality of its themes. All in all, a fine piece of indie filmmaking. Highly recommended to all devotees of quality under-the-radar movies.