Tenderness (2009) User Reviews

Try a Little Tenderness

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 2 April 2011]

Convicted as a juvenile, handsome young Jon Foster (as Eric Komenko) gets out of jail free, despite being a psychopathic killer. Lonely and abused teenager Sophie Traub (as Lorelei "Lori" Cranston) has become infatuated with Mr. Foster, and has been keeping a scrapbook on him. She decides to join Foster on a trip to look at colleges in upstate New York, by stowing away in the back seat of his car. Foster, who is also looking to keep a sex date with another female admirer, wants to get rid of Ms. Traub. But, as they travel, Foster becomes attached to Traub. Then, he learns she witnessed a crime...

Meanwhile, police lieutenant Russell Crowe (as John Cristofuoro) follows the young couple. After helping put Foster in the pokey, Mr. Crowe developed a strange bond with the young killer. Crowe thinks Foster will kill again...

"Tenderness" starts out by having you think it's going somewhere else. It also toys around with eroticism. But, the film is really more like a character study. Foster is a psychopathic killer who Crowe feels is apt to kill again, with vulnerable underage Traub the likely victim. Walking off with the best-written role, Traub actually provides Foster with some measure of salvation. The film is subtly acted and directed, looks great for the price, but stops short of excellence. The character played by Crowe is not drawn well into events; he and his invalid wife are far too detached from the main characters.

****** Tenderness (1/15/09) John Polson ~ Jon Foster, Sophie Traub, Russell Crowe, Laura Dern

It remains an occasionally intense but mostly routine and flat thriller

[Likes_Ninjas90 · 6/10 · 27 April 2009]

A man named Eric Poole (Jon Foster), who was sent to prison after murdering his parents and raping a girl as an adolescent, is released back into the free world. Living at home and deciding to investigate the colleges of America, Eric is tracked by a lonely girl named Lori (Sophie Traub). Lori has been following Eric's release in the papers and she remembers meeting him once from a brief chance encounter. After she sneaks into the back of his car, Eric and Lori eventually come together and stay on the road, gradually remembering when they first met. Eric is also pursued by an obsessed cop, Detective Cristofuoro (Russell Crowe), a man who is grieving in having to look after his paralysed wife.

Though an initially intense and interesting film, Tenderness directed by John Polson (who previously made Swimfan and Hide and Seek) remains a rather uneventful and often unconvincing crime thriller. The opening quarter of the film, while leisurely paced, is constructed to develop our interest into how these characters are interconnected with each other. Certainly there are a number of fascinating questions asked; such as why this teenage girl is unconcerned by the dangers of this lunatic and why Cristofuoro himself is to obsessed with his own pursuite, surely not just because of his instincts and his proper sense of the law. Where the film falls apart though is in its undeveloped answers to many of these. The girl's eventual fate is a grim and depressing one, and though we do see portions of her life as being undesirable - her mother has a new boyfriend moving into their house and Lori is forced to flash her breasts for a man's pleasure - there is never a completely satisfying closure to her unhappiness. Furthermore, Cristofuoro's insistence to follow Eric and try to catch him out leaves much to be desired for the character. He does not spend a great deal of time interacting with his target and merely describes it as his hobby. There must be a stronger grudge between the men, than a mere obsession; it remains a rather flat and uninteresting part.

As with the script, the performances of the film are relatively uneven as well. Russell Crowe is always a strong actor but he is at his best in portraying masculine figures of internal conflict. Here he is given a fairly routine and slightly disappointing role. His reliance on an American accent is at times jarring and unnecessary and like in Ridley Scott's film Body of Lies, he does not seem to have a great deal to do in the film. For such a powerful actor, his part is quite underwritten and does not benefit from a substantial level of character development. Sophie Traub as Lori is reasonable in her role, sometimes exuding emotion but occasionally irritable in trying to be funny and energetic. It is most disappointing that we never really reach a deeper understanding of her unhappiness and discomfort in life. It would have contributed a much stronger emotional pull to the film. As Eric, Jon Foster is sometimes intense but mostly blank, never entirely capturing the chilling sense of menace and dread that he could have. There are moments that we suspect Eric may succumb to his desires to kill but this level of tension needed to be more persistent to illuminate the threat that he is. There are certainly some assets to the film; the flashbacks to Eric's brutal crimes are used to show his current struggle of emotions. Yet as with Lori, we never gain a significant insight into his true psychosis.

Tenderness would have benefited from a stronger script that would allow more opportunities to delve into the anxiety of both a teenager and the internal confliction of a teenager. As it stands, it never reaches the heights of a film like The Woodsman and it remains an occasionally intense but mostly routine and flat thriller that owed a lot more to the abilities of its star, Russell Crowe.

A languorous look at miserable lives

[oOgiandujaOo_and_Eddy_Merckx · 5/10 · 12 November 2018]

A rather sombre and one-note film about a young serial killer who manages to escape trial as an adult on grounds of diminished responsibility, and gets released into the chicken coop again when he's 18. A semi-retired cop who wants to get him back in custody and stop any more deaths trails him after release. A young lady who doesn't think much of life hooks up with the serial killer. Brings to life a phrase I recently heard from a philosopher, when we look for romantic partners we look for, "familiar suffering".

The film is about people with meaningless lives, looking for a reason to get out of bed every day other than to continuously reflect on their pain.

Potentially for people who already read the novel, the poor editing is easily overlooked as they know what was going on anyway. Russell Crowe and Laura Dern signed up to the project, perhaps as the novel has received some quite favourable attention, but they don't bring much to it.

The film lacks any dramatic oomph, partly because the cop is a really nice guy who looks at Eric as a young man with a mental illness; and there's no animus back from Eric, simply because he lacks most ordinary human feelings. Although a few people did manage to get happy about Tenderness, it seemed to me like like a roughly hewn film with no outstanding qualities.

Nothing Changes....Nothing Ever Changes

[aatx1154 · 3/10 · 19 April 2010]

Despite having an interesting premise, Aussie director John Polsner (Swimfan, Hide and Seek) and screenwriter Emil Stern's adaptation of Robert Cormier's novel never seems to gain traction and generally fails to rise above its choppy editing and individual sets and sequences. Eric Poole (Jon Foster) is released from juvenile detention despite being convicted of the brutal murder of his parents. Eric must find a way to reconcile his past and cope with his present while Russell Crowe plays the semi-retired detective that brought him to justice in the past and is determined to keep close tabs on his future. Sophie Traub's Lori is an awkward teenager who has been obsessed with Eric since the murders and desperately pursues interaction between them at all costs.

It's a shame that potential character studies of these three individuals never fully materializes on screen nor does it mesh with the attempts at suspense and action. The biggest flaw is that the narrative is driven from the point of view of Crowe's detective character who also happens to have smallest of the three roles. Crowe's performance seems flat and perfunctory with no real character arc other than a slow chase of Eric and Lori and a subplot of a hospital-ridden wife that goes nowhere. Foster's Eric had the most potential but he never seems to bring more than a surface level amount of emotion and delivery to his scenes. The only standout is Traub who is able to balance her character's youthful recklessness and yet still retain some soulful insights.

This film is deliberately paced and a lot of scenes that were meant to provide emotional heft either do not resonate or are not fully played out which may be why the score is often raised several decibels. Characters share deeply personal details and yet suddenly we are on to another scene. Laura Dern who plays Eric's spiritual aunt is largely wasted. Would recommend only to individuals that are avid followers of the actors involved.

Grade: D

The intimacy of the kill is tenderness.

[gradyharp · 7/10 · 30 March 2014]

Director John Polson is now well known as frequent director on television series such as 'Elementary', 'Blue Bloods', 'The Mentalist', 'The Good Wife', ' Without a Trace' etc. TENDERNESS is an early effort (2009) but the singe is evident. This little film slipped by everyone despite a strong cast - likely because the subject matter is rather difficult to swallow, especially as related by the time flips the picture takes in explaining the story.

Buffalo detective Lt. Cristofuoro (Russell Crowe), whose catatonic wife is in hospital, takes a special interest in Eric Komenko (an excellent Jon Foster!), a juvenile who killed his parents and will be freed on his 18th birthday. So has Lori Cranston (Sophie Traub), 15 or 16, her body fully developed and the object of lust by her boss and her mother's new boyfriend. She keeps a scrapbook about Eric, and when he's released from custody, she hides in the backseat of his car, insisting he take her with him on a trip toward Albany where he's planning to meet a girl. Cristofuoro is certain Eric will kill again, visits Eric's dead mother's sister Aunt Teresa (Laura Dern, excellent) with whom he lives since his release from Juvenile Hall, agrees with Cristofuoro's intuition and encourages him to pursue Eric in Albany. What happens on the trip to Albany - the disintegration of Eric's fragile sociopathic psyche and Lori's obsession with Eric's none too subtle need to kill leads to a surprising end. It is a film that deals with compulsions on every level and in every character - especially a self- destructive teen obsessed with a murderer, a young man obsessed with killing girls, and a weary detective obsessed with keeping the young man behind bars.

Jon Foster is the center of attention in the story and is supported the excellent work of Russell Crowe and Laura Dern. The supporting cast is strong. Serial killers continue to make an impact on writers, but this story takes a deeper look into the psyche of the main character, if not by words then more by body language.

Don't bother with this one!

[spike99 · 2/10 · 12 June 2011]

I love Russell Crowe. The guy who plays Eric is pretty cute and a good actor. So, one star for each of them: but, even Oscar-winner Russell Crowe couldn't save this one.

The supposed chemistry between Lori & Eric just didn't work for me. The sub-plot with the Detective and his wife wasn't fleshed out enough to make me care.

On the plus side, The cinematography was gorgeous and the cast definitely can act. However, the pace is PAINFULLY slow for a thriller. And (no spoilers) the ending was a bit anti-climatic.

I just kept wishing it would end which, gladly, it finally did.

A much improved Polson answers his critics with 'Tenderness'

[FightOwensFight · 7/10 · 19 September 2009]

'Tenderness' was first recommended to me by a close friend who I normally trust as far as judgment in film. However, when I learned the director, John Polson, was responsible for such films as 'Swimfan' and 'Hide & Seek', I had my doubts... As the movie progressed I found myself reassured by some emotionally provoking cinematography, strong performances, and an intriguing story. This film obviously is not comparable to Polson's previous flawed films. No, 'Tenderness' is actually substantial proof that Polson does have some talent in his bones after all.

After several years of juvenile incarceration for the horrific murders of his parents, Eric Poole (Jon Foster) is released back into the world amidst much controversy. While dealing with his wife's terminal condition, Retired Detective Cristofuoro (Russell Crowe) keeps close watch on Eric after his release waiting for him to slip up. Shortly after returning to his Aunt's home, Eric sets off to Albany to look at colleges. Suspecting that there is more to the trip that Eric is letting on, Eric's Aunt Teresa (Laura Dern) notifies the Detective of the trip. Fueled by an obsession by a seemingly chance encounter with Eric before the murders, a young and immature teen, Lori (Sophie Traub), forces a second encounter and finds herself accompanying Eric on his journey all while both searching for their own version of tenderness.

While it's no secret that this is not a perfect film, there is something to be said about this adaptation of Robert Cormier's novel. Instead of drawing from high suspense of the occurring events and without spelling everything out for the audience like most American films, Australian director Polson focuses on studying the film's characters. Though the characterization is a worthy effort, I still felt that the full potential of each character's depth was not explored. As long as you can get past Polson's earlier work and view the film with an open mind, you should be able to enjoy 'Tenderness' for as much as I did.

Never takes off

[jfrahman · 2/10 · 24 July 2010]

This movie was a great disappointment to watch due to a number of factors, all of which combine to make for a flat and unexciting viewing experience.

First off, it is clear from the outset that Jon Foster killed his parents but had that crime expunged from his record, so Detective Cristofuoro's relentless pursuit of him is altogether pointless. Cops don't just chase people around like that because they THINK they MAY do something, they go after people who have already done bad things, and in this case Foster hadn't done anything to merit this pursuit. The "dramatic" scene towards the end of the movie when Det. Cristofuoro and his cadre of New York state troopers try to arrest Foster was the breaking point for me, as they treated him as though he had actually committed a crime when all he had done was drive to see the girl Maria who had written him a note right before his release from jail (apparently in an inadequately-explained attempt to entrap him trying to kill another young woman).

Then there's Lori. It becomes clear at some point that her mom's boyfriend Gary has molested her at least once in the past, but I felt no sympathy for her whatsoever in her neurotic and obsessive pursuit of Foster. By halfway through the movie I almost WANTED her to die and get the plot going! Her eventual suicide by drowning was entirely anti-climactic and really did nothing for the plot or to develop any feelings of empathy on the part of the viewer with her character.

Going back to Foster, he acts creepy, and it is made clear that he killed his parents because they found evidence of his killing and posthumous defilement of an unnamed girl who is flashed to at various time throughout the movie. His alleged religiousness simply serves to make him a little creepier without serving any deeper purpose (except perhaps to point out that the director has a dismal opinion of Christianity).

His ending up in jail at the end of the movie was enough for me to exclaim that this crapper of a film wasted 101 minutes of my life I will never get back.

In short: too many glaring plot holes, and insufficient character development. I just didn't care about any of the characters even by the end of the movie, and certainly got no plot closure.

Interesting but so-so movie about a disturbed young man.

[TxMike · 8 June 2010]

Russell Crowe is the big name here, but he in fact has a somewhat limited role. He is Detective Cristofuoro who had investigated a case a few years earlier, where a teen boy had murdered his parents. Because of his age, and the fact that he was taking a certain medication, he was not tried as an adult. Instead he was confined to juvenile detention and now, as an 18-year-old, is being freed with no crime on his record. So the detective, who considers himself semi-retired, and with a sick wife in the hospital, takes it upon himself to keep an eye on the young man, believing he will have a tendency to kill again.

Jon Foster is the young man, Eric Poole, and he really does seem disturbed. Just as he is about to be released he gets a note from a pretty girl who catches his eye, and he later calls her and they agree to meet at an amusement park in upstate NY.

The other key character is teenager Sophie Traub as Lori, a 16-year-old girl who ends up in the back of Eric's car as he is driving upstate. When she wakes up and startles him, they almost wreck. At first he tries to get rid of her, he even offers her $20 to get back home, but she is intriguing and stays with him.

Meanwhile the detective starts to look for him, and enlists the help of the local police.

This is a very interesting movie, for the performances, but in the end it is only a so-so movie. It apparently didn't do too well in theaters. I got it as a Netflix rental. Had to watch something!

SPOILERS: Eric meets the pretty girl who had slipped him the note. She suggests they go to a more secluded place, but it was a trap. Police, and the detective, were hiding in the brush, hoping to nab Eric as he tried to harm the young woman. But Lori realizes this and shows up to warn him in time, they had nothing to arrest him on. But later, and with Sophie knowing all about Eric's past and his tendencies, gets Eric to take her out on a lake in a row boat. There she stands up, lets herself fall into the water, and drowns. Did she do it just so that Eric could get accused of murder and be removed from society? That is what I prefer to believe the ending meant, and in fact he was arrested.

Not your typical serial killer flick

[mrblackwoodu · 7/10 · 9 May 2010]

A surprisingly subtle look at the often used serial killer storyline. You won't guess the next move even if you try. My hats off to the film makers for not following the by the numbers approach that has been worn into the ground about 500 films ago.

Great acting by the unknown young part of the cast is highlighted by the performances of the veteran actors. Photography is first rate and the locations further lend credibility to this unpolished gem.

This is not your run of the mill suspense thriller. The suspense lies in not knowing the next move and yet expecting the worst. Even the "big surprise" plot twists don't come off as the usual loud and explosive Hollywood style moments.

The pacing of this film will certainly put your average teen to sleep due to the lack of gratuitous violence and gore. The rest of us are left with a haunting glimpse of tortured souls produced by talented artists, both in front and behind the camera.

Nice work people!

I haven't read the book. This is plain awful.

[jestersaxe · 1/10 · 11 September 2009]

Very slow moving. Very predictable ending. If it didn't have Russell C in it, I don't think it would have seen the light of day.

You keep watching for some injection of... anything really! It tries to be very character driven, but you really don't give a toss for any of them because the subject matter is so boring.

Some say the ending is a good old "didn't see that coming"... to them I say "RUBBISH".

Trailer made it look suspenseful, eery, even challenging... none of this comes through. For such a short film you feel like you've been watching it for days.

Me and my girlfriend both thought the other was liking it so neither of us said anything until the end... she broke the silence at the credits, "Well that was pure sh**" lol. I didn't disagree.

well written...and not predictable

[MarieGabrielle · 9/10 · 12 October 2012]

Russell Crowe as a detective who is living somewhat in limbo. He has an instinct Eric Komenko, a juvenile who killed his parents may kill again. So he follows him through a void of nameless suburbs in upstate New York.

The character of Lori, a disaffected teen who tags along with Eric. At first we aren't aware of her psychological motivation.

There is a connection Lori has to Eric, the actress portraying Lori is particularly affecting, she likes Eric, but he is interested in Maria, a girl he met in prison. Lori is a tragic figure, trapped and insecure. Wanting "out" but not sure how to change her life.

Eric is in his own way trapped from his past actions.

And Russell Crowe is very realistic here,an older retired detective, his wife is critically ill and this is sort of a final mission he feels he should complete.

The film is a bit slow but psychologically interesting. Crowe is out of character, and does well here as an 'everyman' trying to accomplish one possibly meaningful thing in his dead-end career.

Mysterious and ephemeral ending, but recommended.

An effective meditation on existential pain...

[MrGKB · 7/10 · 3 November 2011]

...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.

Not a Popcorn Thriller

[Surfin_San_Diego · 5/10 · 13 April 2010]

I hadn't heard of this film until Redbox e-mailed me and reported it as a new release. I went out and rented it right away, curious to see what Russell Crowe had done as I like to watch him work.

Hats off to Jon Foster and Sophie Traub for telegraphing internal dialogue well enough to keep me nearly interested. There is tension, as you can't tell if Foster's character will act on impulse to bring more grief to the world.

Grief is the common theme. Life as Grief, Actions and Consequences as Grief, Breathing as Grief. Fortunately I took my Welbutrin this morning so I was in a pretty good mood both going in and coming out of the film experience.

All the professional elements are present: acting, directing, lighting, set design, and even a minimal amount of music. There is a story here, but its one that neither added to my life or made me feel better about the human condition.

Skip this one, don't waste the spot in your Netflix queue.

lacks intensity and Crowe wasted

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 21 January 2016]

In Buffalo, Lori Cranston (Sophie Traub) is a troubled developed teen facing unwelcomed sexual attention from her boss and her mother Marsha (Arija Bareikis)'s boyfriend Gary (Michael Kelly). Eric Komenko (Jon Foster) killed his parents at 15 and is getting released from juvenile detention at 18 to stay with his aunt Teresa (Laura Dern). His arresting officer Lt. Cristofuoro (Russell Crowe) is certain that he's a psychopath. Eric is driving to meet up with Maria (Alexis Dziena) when he finds Lori in the back of his car.

This movie wants to hold onto its secrets. The problem is that I don't particularly care. The first half is one long tease. The opening with Sophie Traub has a couple of compelling moments. Jon Foster has a quizzical look on him. There are many possibilities. The story has a very odd twist but not a thrilling one. Russell Crowe is essentially wasted in this movie. His character is unnecessary and the story may benefit without him. None of it really pulled me into this movie. If Sophie Traub could play it more disturbed, it could be an interesting character study.

Dire

[Didus26 · 19 May 2010]

could not believe what I was seeing . this film is utter thrash from start to finish . The premise and storyline could have saved it but the script and in particular the dialogue is so poor I had to turn it off. Crowe makes his scenes bearable but the young actress playing the infatuated teenage girl is toe-curling awful and she is not helped by dialogue and nonsensical ramblings that one would expect to see in a film made by a twelve year old. Boring. Badly Acted. Badly directed. Badly shot.....even Crowe at the start takes on the strangest of William H Macy like accents but looses it halfway through the scene and for the rest of the film!! what was that about!?

Good Story, Movie Had Some Rough Edges

[Jakealope · 7/10 · 9 May 2010]

The movie had a simple plot. A mass murderer, Eric, who killed a girl friend and his parents when 15 is released at 18 because he was tried as a juvenile because he was on antidepressants. So we know the guy has some serious issues and is labeled a psychopath; there is no doubt what so ever he is the killer. He goes to live with his dead mother's sister, Aunt Teresa, played by Laura Dern. There he is comfortable and has his old mother's car and seems quite well off. The Aunt tries to give him a break and be supportive. The driving force is Detective Cristofuoro, played by good old Russel Crowe. We seem him tending his comatose wife in some sanitarium as a semi retired Buffalo NY cop who original busted Eric, He is on Eric's case, but more in a fatherly way than in some Dirty Harry way but he feels Eric is a time bomb. In his last week in reform school, a cute female teenage prisoner Maria, made a pass at Eric and gave him a note telling him to meet up with her cause she is getting out soon too. So we have the troubled young killer Eric and the fastidious detective cleaning up his house, his comatose wife & old unsolved cases, all dogging him.

Enter Lorelei, the opening character, She is a sexually abused, more in a peeping tom way, waif who lives with her loser mother and her straight looking but twisted boyfriend, She is obsessed with Eric based on a chance encounter before he was arrested but is unknown by Eric. She lies to her mom then uses her body to get rides and money to Eric's aunt's house where she hides in the back of his car, his dead mother's Volvo station wagon. Eric, who told his aunt he is going to Albany to see colleges is really trying to meet up with his prison admirer Maria, So Loralei startles him when she reveals herself from her hiding place and almost causes a wreck on US 9W, a funny road to take to get from Buffalo to Albany when that is a north south Road from Rockland County NY City area to Albany, maybe he should have used 5 & 20 instead? Okay, she has issues and he is trying to politely dump her the whole time but she dogs him. There is no sex between them but she definitely wants to be hurt or killed by him as some sort of twisted intimacy thing. This is where it gets psychological since he does have issues but restrains himself. The whole time the detective is dogging him and he is aware of it yet cavalier, leaving a cross hanging from the detectives' rear view mirror.

The best part of this movie is that it's a character study of three different characters with wildly different but twisted motivations. It isn't the best film of it's type but it is worthy and unexploitive considering the issues involved.

Ponderous, Prententious, Drab

[jblacktree · 1/10 · 13 October 2011]

Dreary and slow. What passes for thoughtful in indie land,its lesson seems to be this: some people are literally dying to get killed by really boring and charmless sociopaths.Everything fails, from the embarrassingly quanky music (two artsy-folksy songs under action made me blush and cringe) to the pedestrian camera work and editing to the WTF year-is-this?-costumes-and-hair to the casting of good actors in tiny parts,(better no Laura Dern than shooting with her for one day), to poor Crowe, looking puffy and depressed in sweater vest, 70s polyester, given absolutely nothing to do. Aside from moping and delivering a teen diaryish VO, this physical and vibrant actor is given nothing for his character. Sophie Traub is valiant in her efforts to give this heartless rust belt film some spark--but Jon Foster is a dead space on the screen and drowns everything around him in a kind of insidious averageness.

Tales from the intimate killer

[littlelovephobia · 7/10 · 25 October 2009]

I came to this movie expecting to be great just because Russell Crowe was in it. The thing here is Mr. Crowe doesn't have the principal role, but that certainly isn't bad news. The main actors, Jon Foster and Mrs. Sophie Traub did an excellent job here. If not for them this movie would have sink in the waters of oblivion.

The story had to be slow paced, it's a history about a boy named Eric who was condemned to prison, judged as a kid for killing his fathers. Now that he is 18 years old he has been released. But a cop thinks he will murder again, so he follows him, waiting for him to make a mistake. And while the boy goes in the search of a beautiful girl he saw once, a depressive girl named Lori appears in his car and joins him in his trip.

And here we go, the basic premise of the movie, we don't know for sure if Eric will kill again, we don't know why Lori is so obsessed with him and we also don't know why the cop wants him to be in prison. The good thing about this film is that it will answer all your questions and you will be rewarded at the end, but the very slow nature of the history make it difficult to watch, but helps you to take time to understand the motives of everyone involved.

Tenderness its a really simple movie about very complex characters. Everyone has their motives, their back story and while the ride is not as fun or well done as it could, it closes pretty well. It's like a simplified version of the style of "The Talented Mr Ripley" or Woody Allen's "Cassandra's Dream" Recommended for those of you who enjoyed slow suspense, character driven thrillers.

trying to be recognized!

[yekayek · 4/10 · 17 February 2010]

OK lets make it quick,the script restlessly tried to be one with great dialogs,but they were rather disturbingly irrelevant to the events that has occurred in the story.the movie's ending ,everything it has shown us pretty much cried out loud the fact that nothing changes,but russel crowe's punch line for the final sentence of the movie is "maybe today something changes".he didn't kill her but that doesn't mean he's changed!!!! tried to be considered a deep meaningful piece,it just tried and it didn't succeed. the essence of the movie was supposed to be "death" or something but it didn't highlight any feelings in particular.none.nothing.empty.i was disappointed. it just didn't give me anything.

" You and I both know you're a killer, I want to be there when you do so again "

[thinker1691 · 7/10 · 31 March 2011]

To his credit Russell Crowe has made a living portraying many different characters. Regardless, it's interesting to watch this Thespian ply his trade. This movie is called " Tenderness " written by Robert Cormier and directed by John Polson. It tells the story of Eric Poole (Jon Foster) a deranged killer who murdered his family and was sent to prison. Time has passed and on his 18th birthday, Poole has been set free. Suspecting, Poole is still a danger to society, police Lt. Cristofuoro (Russell Crowe), now retired decides to follow him to his next victim. Among the several groupies who wrote to the killer, is Lori (Sophie Traub) an unsuspecting girl who is fascinated with the killer. Maria (Alexis Dziena) is another potential victim. The movie is marked with tension, dark drama and skilled excitement, enough to make it worthwhile entertainment. Crowe is in good character as a grieving policeman who's wife lays in near catatonic coma, while he trails his quarry. ***

typical polsen. nothing to say.

[TheBrownBunny66 · 1/10 · 19 February 2009]

i went into this film with pretty low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.... to learn that my intuition is not faltering. This film was abhorrent.

Russel Crowe is simply too good for a John Polsen film. From the man who brought us the dastardly simplistic and stupefying swimfan, and similarly unthrilling and dumbly plotted hide and seek, comes a film that is desperately crying for attention as a 'serious film'. it is as a result unfortunate that i laughed harder through this film that 'the brothers bloom'...

The conceit is a retardation of most bonnie a Clyde rip offs, with a serial killer, and an obsessed feline catering to the every whim of said murderer.

Russel Crowe plays the semi retired cop (how many obsessed semi retired cops are there in films!!!) following a man who is sure to re-commit.

While the narrative has some really thought provoking themes; a man who can only feel tenderness by releasing life from victims, a girl vacant as the apathetic family she fled who craves tenderness, and a road trip of discovery it is only in the hands of a hack such as john polsen that such a film could simultaneously feel both so derivative and boring.

The cinematography is appalling, underlit and unmoving; but not in terms of changeling where this stalling aesthetic added to the emotional weight of the proceedings... no rather to infuriate and illustrate a director who thinks 'stillness' equates to drama.! The poster, and stills i saw showed russel crowe in all his glory, but this is in no way a film about him... in actuality he shares barely twenty minutes of wasted screen time where he appears to coast through the proceedings... Gone are the days of Romper Stomper, The Insider, Gladiator and Master and Commander.. This film felt like a favour to the director from 'sum of us' days, and as a result lacks direction, presence, logic and cohesion.

The moment of a laugh out loud comes when said femme fatale, who can't swim, stands up on a boat with the murderer, and starts rocking the boat (yes literally and metaphorically... who writes this crap) and starts exotically dancing while doing it... i won't tell you what comes of this but trust me... it ain't rocket science. This moment nailed it for me. This is just a stupid horrible film and a waste of time.

The film is a roadtrip where nothing happens except stupidly plotted, badly acted, terribly directed narrative exposition.

The film eventually has the nerve to bookend itself with a quote that was both at the beginning and the end of the film... but again like most of the film it is contrived and comes from a completely abstract and unnecessary direction..

Dull. TV Movie at best. Somebody stop this hack John Polsen from ruining any more scripts.

If there's one thing that could sum up the career of john polsen its 'hack'. he is non auteur and he has no idea how to tell a story.

However it must be said that at the premier despite all my friends spitting similar vitriol, there was a semi applause at the end... now whether this was because John Polsen was in the audience i do not know... but hey... what do i know... maybe some people enjoyed it? Just not me.

Wonderful Cormier adaptation

[ChristopherYoudfan · 9/10 · 17 May 2009]

I'm a huge Robert Cormier fan and have read every novel he's ever written. So I came to this movie with mixed emotions. I think his books are filmable, as they're relatively short. But they're not easily filmable, as he gets into the heads of his characters and the thought processes are what makes them so interesting. So far there's been 4 adaptations of Cormier's, until now. Chocolate war was an awful movie, messed with the book and changed the ending. Sucked in though to the students who watched the movie and not read the book. I am the cheese, featuring Cormier himself, was quite good - certainly better than it's remake, Lapse of Memory. But it was still flat and sentimental. The Bumblebee Flies Anyway seemed to be aimed too young and was an indie film that tried to overuse its name signing - Janene Garofalo. So I was worried Tenderness, with 2 name signings - Dern and Crowe - would do the same. What it was, though, was brilliant. It doesn't mess with the book as far as I remember it (it's been a few years). It does flesh out Crowe's character, who provides a narrative framework as well, but that actually works for the film and not against it. The ending is brilliant, the tension throughout is brilliant, and the "teenage" actors (really 19 and 25, but they pass well for 16 and 18) are great. It's a bleak tale. It won't be easily sold off the preview. But if you're a Cormier fan looking for a film that captures his ethos of hope through pain, his bleak "there is no light, so learn from the tunnel" themes are all present, which is why his books stand out and why this challenging and masterly crafted film will likely fail at the box office (as it has in Australia, where I'm from) and remain a minor masterpiece.

(If there are any Dern fans there - she has 2 scenes, a cameo really, though she's quite good. Crowe fans - his expanded role really makes him a third lead, while the book was really about the main two. I thought there was room in the film to flesh him out, and they did so nicely. Think about his role in the The Insider - not the lead, but his presence is felt.)

But this film is very thought provoking and challenging. Even if you don't like Crowe it won't matter, and if you've never read a Cormier book, it's a great introduction to his stuff, unlike the other adaptations.

Not a happy movie.

[natashabowiepinky · 6/10 · 13 March 2014]

A guy gets out of prison when he's 18 after just a few short years... for killing both his parents. Apparently, it was due to the medication he was on at the time... and this held up in court. Yeah, right. Not in America. For some reason, he also has his criminal record expunged. Lucky him. A sort-of retired detective, who suspects him of murdering more, tails him on his release... and so does a teenage girl, who has a scrapbook full of his news articles and a turbulent home life. What's gonna happen? Well quite a bit, as you'll see.

Despite what the blurb on the box may say, this is NOT an 'edge of your seat thriller'. It's more of a quiet reflection of three damaged people who get caught up in each other lives... some possibly have hope, but others are beyond saving. We KNOW Jon Foster's character is a merciless killer... but we don't see much evidence of that in his calm demeanor. It's always the quiet ones, eh? And Russell Crowe cuts a sympathetic figure as the lawman with a comatose wife, and a dogged determination to keep this dude in jail, even resorting to...

As for the strange young lady who turns up in the back of Foster's car one day, now THERE'S an interesting case. Portrayed by Sophie Traub, she's been abused by her stepfather, ignored by her birth mother and forced to expose herself at work to a perverted boss. So, in perspective, her infatuation with this criminal may not be so odd after all. Of course, she has other reasons to follow him, which I wouldn't dream of revealing. Do you want me to be one of those jerks who loads his reviews with SPOILERS?

On the basis as to whether it's actually any good, there are a few gaps in logic... such as the policeman who stops the car of a guy who's just been imprisoned for murder when it U-turns off the road... sees a schoolgirl in the front seat with him... and lets them both leave with barely a word. Not to mention the ending, which I'm sure will be a divisive one for the majority of the audience. But it's well acted, holds the attention and cannot be accused of being predictable. In fact, that's the last thing it is... 6/10

Too unbelievable and too many gaps

[alicecbr · 3/10 · 25 May 2010]

SPOILERS: this movie was very tedious to watch, having a deaux ex machina incident every 10 minutes. Having had a few teen-agers, and living in the year 2010, I know that no serial killer, no matter how young, would be let out of jail (much less juvie) after killing 3 people. Since I haven't read the novel, I had no idea why the kid freaked out and killed his parents, and the director sure didn't tell us. The special feature on the DVD indicated that two Aussies were mainly responsible for this and were friends of Russell Crow, so maybe that's why it thudded so much in depicting American teen-agers. Here are just a few of the co-incidences that were never logically explained: 1. Eric leaves Lorelei (I thought she was the one who charmed sailors onto the rocks) at the motel and then shows up at the carnival. And, sure as fate, there comes Lorelei. How did she get there and how did she know he was going there? He just said he was going to meet Maria. 2. On the lam, the kids stop at a motel. With no hint given the viewer that Russell has been trailing them that closely, he pulls into the same motel, goes in and eats and doesn't even see the car there, nor the car leaving with them in it. 3. The girl rushes out of the restaurant, and suddenly in the same moment, there he is outside the restaurant, when he was sitting at a table inside when she rushed out. There was no back entrance shown.

4. Eric seems not to have any magnetism, nor is he handsome, so it doesn't make sense that the girl in juvie would send him a note, indicating she wanted to date this maniac 5. No idea given of why the detective leaves flowers at the roadside cross, unless that's where his wife was hit which resulted in her being in a coma. Was this thing edited to death? The producer said that they had several writers on the case. So maybe this was just patched together. 6. Maybe this is 'real life', but most folks would not have gone further into the woods, as Russell did, leaving the trailer and 'getaway' car in close juxtaposition. So of course, they got away and had time enough to leave the cross on the rear view mirror. Maybe the director wanted to make the detective appear dumb. It was just too much of a monster fairy tale. On the other hand, maybe having a nonsensical movie makes it more 'mysterious' and 'alluring', just as the serial killer was to the girl. Waste of time.

I felt like I was writing my own movie, since I had to guess so much of the time. And the rest of the time, impossible coincidences were happening. The only rationalization I can give for this is that each time, either the girl or the boy hangs onto the coattails of the other, out of camera. I don't want to do this again and wish I could have been warned. The reviews weren't good, but the reviewers seemed to have other reasons than mine for not liking it.

Have any of you ever heard of an American teen-ager killing his parents and two girls, and getting out of Juvenile Detention in 3 years. He would have been tried as an adult and sentenced to Life Without Parole, since we no longer have insane asylums to keep such monsters in.