Review of The Night Listener (2006) by Dawdlingpoet — 28 Nov 2021

This is a rather intriguing movie in one sense and a rather tired and muddled one, so to speak, in another. It seems that Robin Williams has been keen on starring on movies such as this over the last decade or so, this being a psychological drama/thriller, where 'all is not what it seems'. That may be being a little dramatic as its hardly a movie in which you'll find yourself shocked and gasping at any regular interval, instead its a rather dark movie set in the murky world of possible half-truths and that questions the motive of someone who has perhaps alot to gain from a book deal.

In the scene where 's friend/housekeeper explains that she thinks the mother could have a particular medical condition which is similar to Munchausen Byproxy, I could hear myself almost finishing her sentence as the Munchausen name reared its head *again*. I sometimes wonder if there isn't some specific fascination with the media, in TV and movies regarding this condition - I mean how many documentaries, dramas and the like have you seen that have some element, or an episode with a plot including something to do with someone with Munchausen or suspected Munchausen Byproxy syndrome? I feel like this is starting to become tacky almost, somehow. Its not to say that it isn't a genuine condition but in a way its perhaps a little like memory loss, how often are there convenient storylines involving people who wake up in hospital or someplace else and they can't remember who they are? in reality, from what I've been led to believe, its very rare for people to suffer complete memory loss like this - it tends to be that people suffer a more temporary short term memory loss and a longer memory loss in terms of events happening right before whenever they were knocked out or whatever caused the concussion and memory loss, from the little I've seen or read about this.

Of course I can't say what the outcome of the movie is and it would be unfair to say that the entire movie is about somebody who is outed as having Munchausen, indeed that term is only mentioned once in the movie and during the movie, there's surprisingly little in terms of people really interacting with the mother let alone diagnosing her. Really the outcome is left to the viewer, ultimately you have to, I suppose, be like Gabriel and come to your own conclusions. It should be said that at both the start and the end of the movie there's some text shown which, somewhat proudly I'd imagine (if text can be proud - I can almost imagine if they could, the filmmakers would add below 'don't blame us for how confusing and dark this is'), informs the viewer that this is a movie based on real events. At the end, its reaffirmed with a little more information, stating that such such a relationship was extablished with who was thought to be a 14 year old boy that all contact was lost from and that they would now be 28 years old.

In a sense, it makes me think about people that I've been in contact with through the internet, infact I'd be surprised if there isn't anyone who regularly uses the internet to meet and talk to people living far away, who haven't lost touch with someone or who at some point, wondered about what they had told them, wondered about this other person and whether to take at face value what their being told. I don't think that its necessarily fair to write everyone off (ie as being liars or someone completely different to whom they claim to be) so to speak, of course and again I'm not saying that I'd even agree with Gabriel thinking that Peters situation is all in the mother's head but then again I suppose I like to believe in things more than others maybe(?) if you know what I mean.

If you take things at face value then you could be confused by the fact that at the start of the movie, there are the inevitable scenes showing both Gabriel and Pete during telephone conversations which wouldn't have been possible when Gabriel reaches his ultimate conclusion - but just because we're shown those scenes then, as viewers, I suppose it doesn't totally write off the possibility that things weren't as they seemed then.

I felt this movie was quite dark and sad and ultimately there isn't the conclusive outcome that I suspect most, if not all, viewers are waiting for - hence why, some people aren't too happy with it. I agree that it leaves you wondering, its a rather unsatisfying movie if that makes any sense, although in a way perhaps its a relief that this is a Hollywood movie without that obligatory Hollywood ending - it maybe depends on what you prefer, whether or not your going to like this. I apologise if you feel like I've given away too much of this movie but there again, I think it should help give you a better idea what the movie is about and if you don't like the sound of where the plot goes (and spends most of its time trying to determine) then you'll know to steer clear of it.