`You should be ashamed of yourself,' one says to a pedophile named `Big John' Harrigan about his disgusting sexual activity.
`I am. Believe me I am,' he says in shame.
One of the most brilliant things about Michael Cuesta's shocking and unrelentingly intense and sad debut, L.I.E. is how the character of `Big John' is presented. They do not portray him as a sick monster, but as a sensitive, caring old man with an illness that causes him to do what he does.
His prey is a troubled youth by the name of Howie Blitzer. He is a lonely homosexual boy who is in dire need of a father figure, and a friend. His father is too busy getting himself out of some trouble in his law firm to even know his own son, who is complex, talented and original. But to hide his vulnerable side, Howie hangs out with a gang of troubled youth, who burglarize houses. Before meeting John, Howie befriends the seductive, sneaky Gary.
Howie has an attraction for Gary that leads him to trouble. Gary was sexually associated with Big John, where he learned of a pair of Russian pistols worth $3,000. After he brings Howie along to snatch them, John hunts him down, demanding them back. Howie can only retrieve the one, and loses touch with Gary. While `working' the last one off, he builds an odd, but deep relationship with John that is actually anything but sexual.
There are great performances to be found everywhere, here. Howie is played by who I hope is a rising star, Paul Franklin Dano. He gives a sincere, arresting and brave performance of a lost soul. Gary, by Billy Kay who is convincing and not over the top. Most of all, by Brian Cox who creates the multilayered John Harrigan. Director Michael Cuesta tells his story with a brilliant originality. The tale obviously has very dark undertones, but Cuesta adds a distinct beauty to the hero's odyssey that captures the moody emotions of the film. He is a strong new director, who I can see a bright future of.
This is a film of many great things, but most of all, awareness. Sharing the age of the 15-year old main character, my eyes were opened and deeply disturbed me to a taboo culture that I had heard of, but never really understood.
This one is extremely controversial and understandably so. Its subject matter is of a frightening nature, but that is what makes L.I.E. such an important picture. *It bravely exposes pedophilia, a mental illness that possesses and drives some. It tackles the subject matter without being exploitive for `shock"-that was a relief (that was the problem of Todd Solindz's sick film Happiness).
I would not have never been able to see this in theaters, even if it were in my area, because of its NC-17 rating, which I think is appalling. I saw it because my brother got the DVD to help him get an understanding of how to portray certain themes such as the loss of a mother (and father for that matter), suicide and vulnerability for background to a story. I read an essay on this film stating that, `I would never accompany my kid to this film, but I hope he sneaks in.' It was a protest against the film's rating, because of how many issues this film conquers that teens must be exposed to. After viewing the film, I couldn't agree with this writer more.
This is one of the most powerful films I've seen in my extremely short time critiquing movies. I cried numerous times during this film and I have never truly cried at a movie before.
L.I.E. is a sad, but undeniably true film told with sheer realism, so rare and unique that you are put alongside Howie Blitzer and it feels like you are observing his life. This is one triumph in filmmaking.
`I am. Believe me I am,' he says in shame.
One of the most brilliant things about Michael Cuesta's shocking and unrelentingly intense and sad debut, L.I.E. is how the character of `Big John' is presented. They do not portray him as a sick monster, but as a sensitive, caring old man with an illness that causes him to do what he does.
His prey is a troubled youth by the name of Howie Blitzer. He is a lonely homosexual boy who is in dire need of a father figure, and a friend. His father is too busy getting himself out of some trouble in his law firm to even know his own son, who is complex, talented and original. But to hide his vulnerable side, Howie hangs out with a gang of troubled youth, who burglarize houses. Before meeting John, Howie befriends the seductive, sneaky Gary.
Howie has an attraction for Gary that leads him to trouble. Gary was sexually associated with Big John, where he learned of a pair of Russian pistols worth $3,000. After he brings Howie along to snatch them, John hunts him down, demanding them back. Howie can only retrieve the one, and loses touch with Gary. While `working' the last one off, he builds an odd, but deep relationship with John that is actually anything but sexual.
There are great performances to be found everywhere, here. Howie is played by who I hope is a rising star, Paul Franklin Dano. He gives a sincere, arresting and brave performance of a lost soul. Gary, by Billy Kay who is convincing and not over the top. Most of all, by Brian Cox who creates the multilayered John Harrigan. Director Michael Cuesta tells his story with a brilliant originality. The tale obviously has very dark undertones, but Cuesta adds a distinct beauty to the hero's odyssey that captures the moody emotions of the film. He is a strong new director, who I can see a bright future of.
This is a film of many great things, but most of all, awareness. Sharing the age of the 15-year old main character, my eyes were opened and deeply disturbed me to a taboo culture that I had heard of, but never really understood.
This one is extremely controversial and understandably so. Its subject matter is of a frightening nature, but that is what makes L.I.E. such an important picture. *It bravely exposes pedophilia, a mental illness that possesses and drives some. It tackles the subject matter without being exploitive for `shock"-that was a relief (that was the problem of Todd Solindz's sick film Happiness).
I would not have never been able to see this in theaters, even if it were in my area, because of its NC-17 rating, which I think is appalling. I saw it because my brother got the DVD to help him get an understanding of how to portray certain themes such as the loss of a mother (and father for that matter), suicide and vulnerability for background to a story. I read an essay on this film stating that, `I would never accompany my kid to this film, but I hope he sneaks in.' It was a protest against the film's rating, because of how many issues this film conquers that teens must be exposed to. After viewing the film, I couldn't agree with this writer more.
This is one of the most powerful films I've seen in my extremely short time critiquing movies. I cried numerous times during this film and I have never truly cried at a movie before.
L.I.E. is a sad, but undeniably true film told with sheer realism, so rare and unique that you are put alongside Howie Blitzer and it feels like you are observing his life. This is one triumph in filmmaking.