NR | 1h 36m | Drama | 2024
Movies featuring a single on-screen performer for their duration is the cinematic equivalent of a high-wire act working without a safety net. If it succeeds, it’s beyond impressive; if it fails, it’s viewed as a poorly executed gimmick.
Past winners in this razor-thin microgenre include “Secret Honor” with Philip Baker Hall, “All Is Lost” starring Robert Redford, “Locke” featuring Tom Hardy, “Buried” with Ryan Reynolds, and “Give ‘em Hell, Harry” starring James Whitmore as President Harry S. Truman.
Written by Alessandro Camon (“The Messenger”), director Steve Buscemi’s “The Listener” was shot in 2021, toured the festival circuit the following year, and only recently secured stateside distribution. While mentioned by name only twice, COVID-19 permeates the production for the duration, but rarely in a bad (read: dramatically negative) way. The global boredom and forced isolation fueled by COVID-19 for two-plus years took an emotional and psychological toll on even the most stable and well-adjusted individuals.
Too Soon?
Making the sole visual character a volunteer “Help Hotline” operator was brilliant. Having voice-only (or computer-based Zoom calls) with loved ones, co-workers, or, in this case, completely troubled strangers for such a long stretch lends “The Listener” appropriate framing yet also immediately dates it. For some, it might be one of those “it’s too soon” types of affairs.Tessa Thompson stars as Beth, a dog-owning, 30-something single woman living in Los Angeles who sleeps during the day and fields calls from troubled souls at night. With her silky-smooth, lower-register voice and calm, even-keel demeanor, Beth (not her real name due to security purposes) is a natural for this tricky, no-pay, frequently thankless humanitarian task.
The Multi-Use Mask
The first caller is Michael (Logan Marshall-Green), an ex-con finding it difficult to make a legitimate living, who makes a knowing, nod-and-wink comment to a bandana used both as a bank robbing accessory and a COVID-19 mask. His nervous attempts at ice-breaking humor mostly fall flat, but we get the feeling that his attitude will improve after talking to Beth.This is followed by a husband who has just given his wife some bad news, a homeless runaway teen whose junkie boyfriend wants to “rent” her to strangers, and a misanthropic misogynist who exacts revenge on those who have spurned him by using his skills as an IT professional to publicly shame them.
Turning the Tables
Most of the third act involves a lengthy conversation between Beth and Laura (Rebecca Hall, the director of “Passing” starring Ms. Thompson), a recently unemployed sociology professor with a litany of issues, who turns the metaphoric tables on Beth. Laura asks Beth about her life and how she came to doling out advice to strangers, and, to be completely honest, all of Beth’s responses came as a complete surprise to me.“The Listener” isn’t quite as good as all of the titles mentioned at the top of this review, not so much because of the quality of the content (which is superb) but because of the presentation. This is in no way a slam against Mr. Buscemi or his talents as a director; there’s only so much one can do visually within the confines of an apartment with a single on-screen performer.
The movie continues Mr. Buscemi’s exploration of loneliness captured in his previous films “Trees Lounge,” “Animal Factory,” and “Lonesome Jim,” as well as his work behind the camera on the TV shows “Oz,” “The Sopranos,” and “Nurse Jackie.”
On the surface, “The Listener” might sound like a supreme downer and, yes, there are parts of it that occupy semi-dark territory. Yet in the end, it’s an optimistic and forward-thinking picture.
Beth is a wounded soul making amends for her past mistakes by trying to help others through their own tough times, with no desire for monetary compensation or recognition. She understands that not every caller can be saved, but if she gets through to one or two a night, she’s benefited humankind.
How many of us can say the same thing about what we might do in our spare time?
