Polson maintains an unsettling tension throughout the narrative, building his slow-burn thriller to a climax that deliberately runs counter to the in-your-face genre principles of which he proved such a master with his first two thriller outings.
Tenderness (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:7
Fresh:4
Rotten:3
Average Rating:5.9/10
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for disturbing violent and sexual content, and language.
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:26-06-2009
Synopsis: Russell Crowe stars in this adaptation of a Robert Cormier novel. When a 15-year-old girl pairs up with a young man, she imagines he'll be able to take her away from her difficulties at home. But... Russell Crowe stars in this adaptation of a Robert Cormier novel. When a 15-year-old girl pairs up with a young man, she imagines he'll be able to take her away from her difficulties at home. But he turns out to be far more dangerous than anything she could have experienced with her family. Meanwhile, a cop (Crowe, 3:10 TO YUMA) begins to follow them in the hopes of averting a tragedy. [More]
Starring: Russell Crowe, Jon Foster, Sophie Traub, Laura Dern
Starring: Russell Crowe, Jon Foster, Sophie Traub, Laura Dern
Director: John Polson
Director: John Polson
Screenwriter: Emil Stern
Producer: Charles Randolph, Howard Meltzer
Studio: Lions Gate Films
Reviews for Tenderness
Since moving to Hollywood, Australian director John Polson has become a very competent filmmaker. I hope he finds better scripts for his future projects.
It's hard to understand what keeps these characters moving, and without true indie grit or the runaway tension that would otherwise satisfy the multiplex, Tenderness drops somewhere in-between...and that is mostly a disappointing nowhere.
Cormier himself called Tenderness a tough book written in "a minor key" and perhaps Polson was inspired by the description. But if so, he doesn't come close.
It does have a few plot contrivances, but the tension is skilfully built and the cast is uniformly excellent.
This is a fascinating study, but the adaptation struggles to get the story across with as much punch as it might. On the other hand, John Polson shows a lucid eye for the genre
The mood that Polson creates is a little like walking into a thick mist and finding yourself lost in the fog. Perhaps we get a little too lost within, but much of the film is engrossing, as are the performances
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