The Night Listener

The intriguing premise of Patrick Stettner's filming of Armistead Maupin's autobiographical novel revolves around a New York monologist named Gabriel (Robin Williams) who hosts a late-night radio talk show. At a time when his personal life is falling apart (his longtime gay lover has moved out), Gabriel is drawn into a long-distance friendship with an abused, terminally ill boy who has written a memoir about his horrific experiences. But as their conversations continue, Gabriel begins to suspect that the whole thing might be a hoax, and he travels to wintry Wisconsin to find out whether the child actually exists or is merely the creation of the boy's caregiver. Although The Night Listener wants to be a rumination on the power of storytelling—both for good and evil—it comes across as a confused, dully brooding, and far too murky mystery. Part of the problem is Williams' performance, which is studied and pedestrian—all morose nobility and repressed emotion—casting a pall over what might have been a hypnotic puzzler (to be fair, he's certainly not helped by the meandering script and clumsy direction). A potentially engrossing tale ineptly told, this is not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include “The Night Listener Revealed,” which looks at the movie's plot twists (12 min.), a deleted scene (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a so-so film.] (F. Swietek)