The Night Listener

"The Night Listener" is a creepy and unsettling movie, and it's pretty good as far as creepy and unsettling movies go.

It could have been much better, though. The true, raw material on which the film is based is really compelling: A famous author is contacted by an abused child dying of AIDS. As the relationship progresses, the author comes to wonder if the kid is real or a hoax.

The story is so fascinating that several television shows and print articles have been based on it.

The movie makes good, but not great, use of the story. The film has creepy, scary, hair raising moments, and moments that make you stop and think about trust, suspicion, and relationships.

But it never really breaks into the same territory as, say, "Vertigo," which treads some of the same ground.

Robin Williams doesn't really do much here. His relationship with his ex lover, Bobby Cannavale, is never believable. The two have zero chemistry, and never even move as two people who once shared the same house, never mind the same bed.

The relationship with the abused child is rushed. It's never given any poignancy. And, so, when Williams begins to suspect the relationship, there is less at stake.

Toni Collette, though, gives a terrific performance as a woman who may be a heroine, or who may be a very scary psycho. She's just so good.

The director manages to make Wisconsin in winter seem like a very ominous place. I never thought that fat, pale, working class Wisconsin residents could appear so menacing.

If the material appeals to you, give this film a try. It's not great, but it's not half bad.