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Williams flops as serious character

August 9, 2006

I have come to the conclusion that Robin Williams has done so many dramatic roles lately that it is starting to affect him not only as a comedian, but also as an actor.

Ever since Williams won an Academy Award for his amazing performance in "Good Will Hunting," the man has had more flops as a dramatic actor than hits as a comedian.

Williams has played a good psycho in recent years ("Insomnia," "One Hour Photo"), but other than those films, he hasn't put together a good dramatic role since his award-winning portrayal of Sean Maguire in "Good Will Hunting."

His new thriller, "The Night Listener," is no exception as Williams takes on another serious role, in which he never seems to feel comfortable.

In the film, Williams plays Gabriel Noone, a radio broadcaster who his widely known for reading short stories across the airwaves.

Noone has recently separated from his partner, Jess (Bobby Cannavale), and seems to have lost his voice since the separation.

Noone is later given a book by his colleague, Ashe (Joe Morton), who feels reading the book will give Noone the motivation to get back to his old self.

The book is by Pete Logand (Rory Culkin), a boy who was preyed on by pedophiles as a child — including his own parents — and has now turned his horrific life into a story.

After reading the book, Noone reaches out to the boy in hopes of giving this boy a much-needed friend while hoping to find himself at the same time.

Noone also begins a relationship with the boy's caretaker, Donna (Toni Collette), and all seems to be going well at first.

The relationship between Noone and the caretaker feels like a heavy weight holding the film back from being a real thriller.

Noone's friendship with Sandra Oh's character feels more like an attempt to fill the cast with more recognizable actors than a way to develop the story.

As the film progresses, Noone begins to suspect that everything might not be as good as it seems. Logand's character seems to always be in a hospital, his birth and medical records seem to be non-existent, and there is an awkward similarity between the way Logand and his caretaker talk.

As Noone begins to dig through the pieces and put them together, he realizes an awful truth — which the audience and everyone else seemed to notice long before him.

Besides being way too short — running at barely an hour and a half — the film's characters are so dull and one-dimensional that it is hard for the audience to care about what is happening to them.

The worst part about watching the film is watching Williams look so unfocused and uncomfortable in the role. There are so many times in the film when it feels as if he is holding back because he doesn't want to look too much like himself.

Of course, the reason people come to see a Williams movie is because they love seeing him as himself — even if it's just a little bit.

In this film, he never allows this to happen, and in the end, the audience walks out disappointed at more than just the ending.

"The Night Listener" viewers won't see a Williams film — only an actor who seems to have lost his way.

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