The Night Listener

Robin Williams is an actor who polarises opinions: some find his sentimental tomfoolery irresistible, while others might prefer to stick their heads into a bucket of bees rather than endure his tediously tearful antics. But even his detractors may have been pleasantly surprised by his convincing performances in One Hour Photo and Insomnia, in which he played directly against type. He's impressive again here as night-time radio phone-in host Gabriel Noone, who strikes up a long-distance relationship with Pete (Rory Culkin), a youngster with Aids who describes tales of horrifying sexual abuse. But as the plot progresses, Noone becomes suspicious about whether the boy is who he says he is. Williams is effectively understated, but is ultimately let down by a plodding screenplay and shoddy direction by Patrick Stettner, who attempts to generate tension when there is none and fails to explore the characters or their situation with any real insight.