TENDERNESS (Maple, 2009) D: John Polson, w/ Russell Crowe, Jon Foster. Rating: NNNN DVD package: NN Rating: NNNN
You’ve no doubt heard the truism about movie characters having to be likeable or you won’t get into the story. Tenderness stomps all over that braindead platitude. This drama is thoroughly engaging without anyone in it being remotely likeable. (Of course, that may be exactly why it was banished to the Siberia of direct-to-DVD release.)
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Eric (Jon Foster) is a murderer, 18 and fresh out of lockup for killing his parents. He’s stiff and closed down, utterly uncharismatic. Like co-stars Russell Crowe and Sophie Traub, Foster delivers a very good performance.
Detective Cristofuoro (Crowe) believes that Eric is a serial killer. He’s not your typical intuitive, smart or obsessed cop, just a depressed, semi-retired guy who needs something to do.
Lori (Traub) is a 15-year-old mess, depressed, alienated, emotionally needy and obsessed with Eric. She sneaks into his car and they go for a drive with Cristofuoro in pursuit.
It looks like a thriller, but really it’s a love story for the criminally insane.
The making-of doc is a scant five minutes long.
EXTRAS Making-of doc. Widescreen. English audio. English, Spanish subtitles.
