''Tenderness'' is a 2009

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by

John Polson John Polson (born 6 September 1965) is an Australian actor, director and founder of Tropfest. Polson is perhaps best known for his role starring opposite Russell Crowe and Jack Thompson in '' The Sum of Us'' (1994). In February 2001, Polson ...

and written by Emil Stern, based on the novel of the same name by

Robert Cormier Robert Edmund Cormier (January 17, 1925 – November 2, 2000) was an American writer and journalist, known for his deeply pessimistic novels, many of which were written for young adults. Recurring themes include abuse, mental illness, violence, ...

. Starring

Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor and film director. Russell Crowe filmography, His work on screen has earned him List of awards and nominations received by Russell Crowe, various accolades, including an Academy Award, two Gold ...

, Jon Foster, Sophie Traub, and

Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born ...

, the film follows the intersecting lives of three people - a young man just released from jail, a girl looking for escape who becomes fascinated with him and the police detective who is sure the boy will kill again. The film received mixed reviews, with some critics highlighting the formulaic nature of the story as a problem.

Plot

Lori is an unhappy 15/16-year-old girl who lives with her single mother. She receives sexual attention from men, including her boss at a retail store and her mother's boyfriend Gary. Eric Komenko is an 18-year-old boy who has killed his parents. Incarcerated, Komenko frequently gets visits from Lt. Cristofuoro, the detective who arrested him. Lt. Cristofuoro is convinced Komenko is a

psychopath Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality, is a personality Construct (psychology), construct characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, along with boldness, bold, disinhibited, and egocentrism, egocentric traits. These traits are often ma ...

, that he killed two teenage girls previously, and that he will kill again. After Eric is released from the juvenile detention facility, he lives with his aunt. His release attracts some media attention, which leads Lori to seek out Eric at his home. Lori gets in the back of Eric's car to seek shelter from rain, and she falls asleep. When Eric leaves for the weekend to meet another girl at an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

, Lori pops up from under a blanket while Eric is driving. The scare and near accident which follows cause a bit of a situation with the police. Reluctantly and not knowing what else to do, Eric allows Lori to continue the journey with him. Lori, who is starved for attention and morbidly enamored by his crimes, flirts with Eric and repeatedly makes advances towards him. Eric, angered by her efforts, refuses her. In a desperate attempt to gain his affection, Lori tells him she saw him kiss a girl down by a river shortly before he murdered his parents. Eric realizes she saw him with the girl he choked to death in his first, unsolved murder, and makes several half-hearted attempts to kill Lori. Each time he is thwarted, either by Lori or by other circumstances. In a motel room, Lori invites Eric to strangle her, even professing her love for him. Eric, confused and angry, walks away. At the amusement park, Eric meets Maria. As he walks around the park with Maria, Lori seethes with jealousy. Maria flirts with Eric and offers to take him to a secluded area of the park to be alone. He gives Maria a necklace he bought for her on the trip. As he clasps it around her neck, it is revealed that Maria was bait by Lt. Cristofuoro in a plot to find Eric in order to trap him before he repeats his past mistakes. Lori warns him of the trap before he can harm Maria. Because Lt. Cristofuoro cannot charge Eric with a crime, Eric is released but Lt. Christofuoro, hoping to keep her safe, warns Lori of Eric's nature. Lori pleads with Eric to make a boat trip, Lori commits

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

by allowing herself to fall into the water although she is unable to swim. Eric, knowing he will be accused of killing her, tries to save her, but to no avail. Eric is then seen in the custody of a penitentiary in Lt. Cristofuoro's presence. Although he admits to believing Eric's explanation of how Lori died, Lt. Cristofuoro explains to Eric that he belongs in prison. Refusing to vouch for Eric, Lt. Cristofuoro lets Lori's death keep Eric imprisoned. In the end, it is revealed that Lori saw Eric put the dead girl in the river, revealing the end twist that the whole while she was trying to have him kill her, and that she had finally committed suicide when she found out he wouldn't.

Cast

as Lt. Cristofuoro * Jon Foster as Eric Komenko * Sophie Traub as Lori *

as Teresa, Eric's aunt * Alexis Dziena as Maria * Arija Bareikis as Marsha, Lori's mother * Michael Kelly as Gary, Marsha's boyfriend * Tim Hopper as Dan Komenko * C. S. Lee as a highway patrolman

Production

The scenes in the juvenile detention center were shot at the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. It was also shot in the county of Rockland, New York. It is revealed on the DVD that the producers only convinced Crowe to take on the project after expanding his role and giving his character a voiceover narration.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

it has an approval rating of 40% based on reviews from 15 critics, with an average rating of 5.14/10. Russell Edwards of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote that it "initially tantalizes but fails to deliver".

Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' wrote, "''Tenderness'' is a movie undone by its formulaic plot conventions, and its need to give its star more screen time than his characters merits."

References

External links

* * {{John Polson 2009 films 2009 crime drama films American crime drama films Australian crime drama films Films directed by John Polson Films based on American novels 2000s English-language films 2000s American films 2000s Australian films English-language crime drama films