ChristianDadMovieBuff TENDERNESS is a brilliantly done movie, and I would certainly watch it again.But be warned, it is not the kind of film for which you would pop a bowl of popcorn and sit down to enjoy with the family, expecting to laugh, smile, and be entertained.Rather it is a film that chooses to march very seriously and solemnly down a twisted dark path while holding a candle of insight, allowing the viewer to experience a very real and empathetic tour of the tragedies unrelenting abuse, ignored cries for help, and the severely poor state of mental health that can grow, slowly and steadily, over time.You must pay attention to what you are watching in this film. The script will not come right out and tell you everything, but if you pay attention, it will reveal everything you need to know. Watching TENDERNESS is like putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle without seeing beforehand what the actual finished picture should look like. But by the time you are done, you can sit back and look at the picture, and realize what is actually is.One point of brilliance is that the plot is so perfectly paced and developed, that you cannot possible fully understand the full impact of the story until final scene of the movie. It is only the twist of this final scene that will bring every preceding detail of the entire film into crystal clear focus, and fully reveal the meanings and purposes behind everything you have watched and heard up to that point. After the final credits have rolled, you will still be sitting there, stunned by the reality of what you just witnessed. It will leave you feeling helpless, wishing you had known in the beginning what you now know at the end, and that somehow you could have done something about it. I recommend you watch this movie. Not with popcorn, candy, and soda. Not with the hopes of laughter or silliness to enjoy. Not with the intent of using it to decompress of escape from the everyday hustle and bustle of life. It is not that kind of movie.It is a very serious film, that makes you a fly on the wall, witnessing a very serious tragedy unfolding right before your very eyes, and it leaves you feeling empathetic and helpless because in retrospect you could probably think of 100 ways to intervene, but by the time to fully understood what was happening, it was too late, and you were powerless to change anything you just witnessed.

Nat Williams "Tenderness" is a film that falls into the category of movies that could have been good but ultimately fail to deliver. It's a psychological drama that invites us to enter the minds and motives of three disparate souls who all seem to be reaching for something they are not sure how to obtain. So far, so good, especially with Russell Crowe in the cast. But the movie seems to meander, never really drawing us in as much as is we'd like. The main portion of the film is a road trip, pairing the main character - a teen recently released from a juvenile correctional facility after murdering his parents - with a young female admirer who alternates between annoying and creepy. They are surreptitiously followed by Crowe, the semi-retired cop who originally put the boy away. Crowe is certain the boy's trail of murder includes more than his parents, and that he will kill again. We watch the whole thing unfold, waiting for something meaningful to happen, but by the time the credits roll, we're left wondering why we cared in the first place.

jotix100 Eric Poole is seen in a reformatory facility. He has been in the place for three years for the murder of his parents, something that was blamed on the medication he was taken at the time. Unknown to Eric, he has a secret admirer, a young woman that once saw him near the water of the lake with a girl as he caressed her with some kind of ribbon, akin to a bookmark. Eric had a brief encounter with a girl inmate, Maria, who stays vividly in his mind. He figures he will look for her when he is out. Eric's mild manners hide an ugly side of him no one suspects.Lori is a sixteen years old teenager that has experienced enough in her short life. We watch her showing an employee of the store she works after school some of her charms, while he masturbates. Lori's life at home with her mother and her new man, Gary, is not exactly perfect. Gary might have taken advantage of Lori. All she wants is to leave home for a chance meeting with Eric, whom she knows is staying at his aunt's.The third character in this tale is Lt. Christofuoro, a retired detective who was involved in Eric's parent's murder. He is going through a difficult time tending to his comatose wife in a hospital. Lt. Christofuoro knows Eric shows clear signs of a psychopath, so when he visits his aunt, he is surprised he had gone to Albany to check on colleges. He decides he must follow Eric.John Polson has been directing a lot of television lately. In fact, "Tenderness" was his last job with a full length movie. Working with the Emil Stern screenplay, Mr. Polson does not seem to have a clear idea what he wanted to achieve, or perhaps his best intentions about the adaptation of Robert Cormier novel got away from him. There are times the narrative does not quite make much sense, the way it is presented, while at times he gets amazing results from his talented cast.The only reason one can recommend the film is because of Sophie Traub who steals the film from her co-stars. This young actress is marvelous in her role of the mixed young woman obsessed with the man that could well be her killer. Jon Foster does a nice take on his Eric, but he is eclipsed by Ms. Traub. Russell Crowe's presence in the film is basically a supporting role, more than anything else. We do not see much of the excellent Laura Dern either.The film was shot in scenic New York state areas captured by Tom Stern's camera. The musical score is by Jonathan Goldsmith.

anoceanroars Firstly, i will say that i hate Crowe, i think he is an awful actor, so luckily he was not in every scene. If he had been i might have given the film a lower rating. Secondly, the story seems to drag on for a little too long, so perhaps Russell Crowe's part was stretched out too much for his ego. Thirdly, i have not read the book, so i don't have any preconceived notions about the story. i don't think their were any real mysteries at the end, all of it seemed to be perfectly clear from the beginning, so i was not surprised at all. The story started off with a lot of promise. A young man, Eric, is released from Juvenile Detention Center for the murder of his parents, which he committed when he was underage. Lori, the main female lead, has a hard life, especially with men, from her boss at her job to her mom's boyfriend. Our two main characters end up together on a road trip and this is where the film goes to pieces. We see too much of Crowe's character Lt. Cristofuoro and not enough of the main characters. If one of the main characters had had the voice-over, then perhaps we could have been privy to more insight into the world of Eric and/or Lori, thus the story might have made more sense by the end. The only thing that saved this film was the acting of the Jon Foster and Sophie Traub, and a minor appearance by Laura Dern. If you have nothing better to watch, then give it a try, but be warned that it isn't a mystery, but more of a drama.