
Tenderness
2008, Crime/Drama, 1h 41m
15 Reviews 1,000+ RatingsYou might also like
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Cast & Crew
Detective Cristofuoro
Aunt Teresa

Eric Poole
Lori
Jackie Cristofuoro

Paul
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Critic Reviews for Tenderness
All Critics (15) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (6) | Rotten (9)
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Crowe's lumbering presence is a relief from all the gothic heaviness, but director John Polson's elliptical storytelling style quickly becomes an irritant.
December 11, 2009 | Rating: 1/4 | Full Review… -
A movie undone by its formulaic plot conventions, and its need to give its star more screen time than his characters merits.
December 11, 2009 | Rating: 2/5 -
Crowe, who spends the movie trudging along ... and waxing lyrical about pain and pleasure, must be hoping no one sees this mawkish blunder. He will probably get his wish.
December 11, 2009 | Rating: 0.5/4 | Full Review… -
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.
May 1, 2009 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… -
Cormier himself called Tenderness a tough book written in "a minor key" and perhaps Polson was inspired by the description. But if so, he doesn't come close.
May 1, 2009 | Rating: 2.5/5 | Full Review… -
It does have a few plot contrivances, but the tension is skilfully built and the cast is uniformly excellent.
May 1, 2009 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Tenderness
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Mar 26, 2013One of the worst performances by Crowe. Maybe this is where he got his awful portrayal of Javert in Les Miserables from. A real snoozer.John B Super Reviewer
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Jul 28, 2011Directed by John Polson, which stars Jon Foster, Sophie Traub, Russell Crowe, and Laura Dern.[1] The film is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Cormier.Despite the good production, the whole story is a little improbable.Boring movie , a waste of Russel Crowe's talent.Andre T Super Reviewer
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Feb 04, 2011This is a really good film. About a police detective who is possessed in making sure a young man who killed his parents spends the rest of his life in prison. At the same time when he is released from prison after turning 18, a young teenage girl falls in love with him. Trying to go straight is impossible because of the harassing detective. A surprising but predictable finish, first time I felt sorry for a killer. Excellent Job John Poison. 4 1/2 stars.Bruce B Super Reviewer
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Feb 01, 2011Billed as a tense thriller, it really isnt that, and russell crowe who plays a getting past it detective is wasted, and focus more on a newly released young killer who may kill again, he picks up a young girl, crowe meanwhile thinks he will kill again, its rather dull in parts and could have been a whole lot better, theres no style and crowe could have done morescott g Super Reviewer
Tenderness Quotes
Lt. Cristofuoro: | My wife says there are two kinds of people, those chasing pleasure and those running from pain. |
Lori Cranston: | Nothing changes! Nothing changes! |
Lori Cranston: | You're just a small beans cop with a vegetable wife. |
Lt. Cristofuoro: | He's addicted to the intimacy of the kill, the tenderness. |
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