L.I.E.
3/4
Starring: Paul Dano, Brian Cox, Bruce Altman, Billy Kay, Walter Masterson
Rated NC-17 for Some Explicit Sexual Content
Michael Cuesta said that "L.I.E.," his directorial debut, is about sexuality. So it is. What he says about it is ultimately unclear. As a character study of an aimless teen abandoned by just about everyone (in one way or another), it's much more successful.
Howie Blitzer (Dano) is going through a rough time. His mother recently died in a car accident. His father doesn't get him, and appears to be more interested in his business and his new girlfriend than his son. His relationship with his friend Gary (Kay) becomes close enough to raise suspicions about his sexuality among his friends. He's also falling into a life of crime, committing petty robberies with his friends. One day Gary convinces him to rob a house containing two expensive pistols. When caught, Gary fingers Howie to the homeowner, a man named Big John Harrigan (Cox). Only able to find one of the guns, Big John makes a deal with Howie with dark overtones.
The problem with the film is that the film skirts around the issues it raises. Pedophilia is a big part of the film, but in an attempt to keep the depth of the relationship between Howie and Big John a mystery, Cuesta misses the mark. Not enough is suggested by the film to allow us to have some sort of idea of what it is. Is Big John a predator or a father figure who happens to be a pedophile? I wasn't sure, and that robs the film of a lot of its power. Interestingly enough, Lot 47 Films, which produced the movie, also produced "The War Zone," which did something similar to much greater effect.
The acting is strong across the board. When he's not appearing in weirdo hipster movies, Paul Dano has shown himself to be an electrifying actor. He's impressive in movies such as "Looper," "There Will Be Blood" and "Prisoners," but this is his most impressive performance. Howie is unlike any character Dano has ever played; he's a normal teenage kid, and while his young age may have been a factor, it's still impossible to believe that this is the same guy who played the self-imposed mute in "Little Miss Sunshine." Dano conveys Howie's feelings of helplessness and the sense that he's given up on life, yet still able to nurture the hope of something better.
Brian Cox, one of England's best character actors, is in fine form as Big John. He's a nice guy. Friendly and gregarious. Yet he has some skeletons in the closet. Big ones. And Cuesta either doesn't know how he wants us to feel about him or doesn't convey it.
"L.I.E." is sort of big in the gay community, which surprises me. Sure, Howie is at least bisexual, and the relationship between Howie and Gary is not tiptoed around. But it's not a positive view of a gay relationship because of what happens in it. That, and a gay relationship is not the film's focus.
Still, I'm recommending the movie because of the strong performances and well-written characters.
Starring: Paul Dano, Brian Cox, Bruce Altman, Billy Kay, Walter Masterson
Rated NC-17 for Some Explicit Sexual Content
Michael Cuesta said that "L.I.E.," his directorial debut, is about sexuality. So it is. What he says about it is ultimately unclear. As a character study of an aimless teen abandoned by just about everyone (in one way or another), it's much more successful.
Howie Blitzer (Dano) is going through a rough time. His mother recently died in a car accident. His father doesn't get him, and appears to be more interested in his business and his new girlfriend than his son. His relationship with his friend Gary (Kay) becomes close enough to raise suspicions about his sexuality among his friends. He's also falling into a life of crime, committing petty robberies with his friends. One day Gary convinces him to rob a house containing two expensive pistols. When caught, Gary fingers Howie to the homeowner, a man named Big John Harrigan (Cox). Only able to find one of the guns, Big John makes a deal with Howie with dark overtones.
The problem with the film is that the film skirts around the issues it raises. Pedophilia is a big part of the film, but in an attempt to keep the depth of the relationship between Howie and Big John a mystery, Cuesta misses the mark. Not enough is suggested by the film to allow us to have some sort of idea of what it is. Is Big John a predator or a father figure who happens to be a pedophile? I wasn't sure, and that robs the film of a lot of its power. Interestingly enough, Lot 47 Films, which produced the movie, also produced "The War Zone," which did something similar to much greater effect.
The acting is strong across the board. When he's not appearing in weirdo hipster movies, Paul Dano has shown himself to be an electrifying actor. He's impressive in movies such as "Looper," "There Will Be Blood" and "Prisoners," but this is his most impressive performance. Howie is unlike any character Dano has ever played; he's a normal teenage kid, and while his young age may have been a factor, it's still impossible to believe that this is the same guy who played the self-imposed mute in "Little Miss Sunshine." Dano conveys Howie's feelings of helplessness and the sense that he's given up on life, yet still able to nurture the hope of something better.
Brian Cox, one of England's best character actors, is in fine form as Big John. He's a nice guy. Friendly and gregarious. Yet he has some skeletons in the closet. Big ones. And Cuesta either doesn't know how he wants us to feel about him or doesn't convey it.
"L.I.E." is sort of big in the gay community, which surprises me. Sure, Howie is at least bisexual, and the relationship between Howie and Gary is not tiptoed around. But it's not a positive view of a gay relationship because of what happens in it. That, and a gay relationship is not the film's focus.
Still, I'm recommending the movie because of the strong performances and well-written characters.
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