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Russell Crowe Jon Foster Sophie Trobe Alexis Dziena Laura Dern Tanya Clarke Karina Colon Vincent Bagnall Alicia Harding Tim Hopper Michael Kelly David Larosa Shannon MacMillan |
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Detective Cristofuoro Eric Poole Lori Maria Eric's Aunty Jackie Cristofuoro Juvenile Delinquent Guard Debbie Dan Komenko Gary Paul Park Ranger |
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Eric Komenko is a charming, attractive high school student with devout, domineering parents. An angry confrontation leads him to violently murders both his mother and stepfather. Lori Cranston is an attractive and audacious young girl who has silently suffered years of sexual abuse from her mother’s boyfriends. Mesmerized by Eric’s story and undetered by his murderous impulses, she flees her mother’s house to find him. But while Lori may be attracted to Eric’s sinister mentality, Lt Cristofuoro, the officer assigned to Eric’s case, is not convinced he won’t kill again. When Eric is released, Cristofuoro, conflicted about his desire to help Eric (whom he knows has suffered tremendously) and knowing fullwell of the latter’s appetite for killing young women, decides to keep an eye on him. His concerns may be well founded. Lori has told Eric she witnessed him killing a girl. Will she be his next victim? |
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"Director John Polson's friend Russell Crowe takes the unglam support role of a semi retired cop in this thriller adapted
from a novel. John Polson shows a lucid eye for the genre, and puts the screenplay to best use as a starting point for
exploring the characters who inhabit that world. Foster is edgy as the barely controlled psychopath, and we are teased as
the filmmakers gradually piece together the jigsaw so when we see the whole picture, the pieces do fall into place." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "The film manages to convey a constant sense of sorrow and impending doom in even the most menial of scenes reminiscent of such films like "In the Bedroom". All the actors are perfectly cast but Sophie Traub is a true standout. Traub manages to convey the complexities of the character with a subtlety and vulnerability that is a testament to her burgeoning talent. Crowe is always a reliable talent and manages to make what amounts to a supporting character as interesting and endearing as the leads." Sebastian Cordoba THE VINE "With Russell Crowe taking above-the-line honours as a dogged cop on a mission, Tenderness begins with a creakily familiar set up. There’s a touch of "Somersault" in the appealingly downbeat story of lost youth that’s glossed up with eye-catching detail. Production is warm and attractive, performances, especially Sophie Traub, are compelling." Colin Eraser MOVIEREVIEW "Based on Robert Cormier's novel, this is an unusual film about obsession and one in which mood plays a pivotal role. Made in the same year as Body of Lies, Russell Crowe plays a cop who is treading water in his painful life. His insular Detective Cristofuoro is obsessed and uses his obsessively tidy nature to tidy up unsolved crimes. It's as though he is trying to prove there is possibility in the impossible. Exceptional editing and use of music allow Emil Stern's adaptation to the screen to be both ethereal and tangible, and it is not until the very end that the answer to a key question is revealed." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE |
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"Jon Foster is a young murderer, fresh from doing time, driving cross country to find a new start. Russell Crowe is a
hardened detective on his tail who believes once a killer, always a killer. When a beautiful young runaway finds her way
into the ex-convict's station wagon, it looks like the cop's instinct might be right. This film has a creepy, ominous mood
that suggests we're in for a very unsettling ride." Jason Di Rosso MOVIE TIME "Russell Crowe reveals a new, softer side in his latest film, Tenderness, a haunting psychological thriller. He can thank his old mate John Polson, the man with whom he got steamy in "The Sum Of Us", for the chance to reinvent his increasingly bare-knuckled popular image. The biggest test of Crowe and Polson's friendship came when the New York-based director suggested to his actor that he might consider growing a moustache for the role." Vicky Roach DAILY TELEGRAPH "Australia's John Polson takes a sharp left turn with this strangely lyrical, disturbing road movie about a teenage girl who shares a cross-country ride with a quiet psycho. Skilfully playing on the irony of its title, Polson maintains an unsettling tension throughout the narrative, building his slow-burn thriller to a climax that deliberately runs counter to the in your face genre principles of which he proved such a master with his first two thriller outings." Jim Schembri THE AGE "This creepy drama is the best of the four features John Polson has made so far –far better than his first two Hollywood films. It seems to have had some difficulty finding distribution, probably because the grim narrative and Polson’s approach to the drama won’t appeal to everyone. The tension is skilfully built and the cast is uniformly excellent. I was quite impressed with this. I think it's pretty good." David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES "It's based on a novel by Robert Cormier, who wrote the Chocolate War, and he's written these very dark, complex, young adult novels and this is another one. I wasn't madly keen on the music but I mean, I think it's a really solid effort but a difficult film actually." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES |
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Director Screenplay From the novel Producers Original Music Cinematography Film Editors Co-editor Casting Production Designer Art Direction Set Decoration Costume Designer |
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John Polson Emil Stern by Robert Cormier Howard Meltzer/John Penotti/Charles Randolph Jonathan Goldsmith Tom Stern Lisa Zeno Churgin & Andrew Marcus Beatrice Sisul Amanda Harding & Amanda Koblin Mark Friedberg Peter Rogness Carol Silverman Eric Daman |