A remarkable movie. L.I.E. centers on Howie, (Paul Franklin Dano) a 15-year-old boy whose mother recently died in a car accident. Neglected by his father, an unscrupulous contractor who's constantly having sex with his new girlfriend, Howie falls in with a group of boys who break into houses for kicks. After one break-in Howie is caught by Big John (Brian Cox,) a former Marine with a taste for young boys. But the relationship that develops between Howie and Big John surprises them both. L.I.E. captures male adolescence more genuinely than any other film in recent memory; the realism of the relationships, particularly between Howie and his father, is completely compelling. The movie affects all the senses; you can practically feel the texture of Howie's blue flannel sheets, smell the greenery that grows along the Long Island Expressway. Amazing performances, vivid direction, smartly written--superb all around. IMDb Images Too many people require a big round of applause for this marvelous film. Michael Cuesta's first feature length film is extremely controversial, and at some times disturbing. Yet it is remarkably well written, well directed, and well acted. There are homosexual references in the movie, but this is not a movie about homosexuality. There are references to pedophillia in the movie, but this is not a movie about pedophillia. It is a story about a boy who finds that important something in his life that is missing. This movie is controversial because one of the main characters is a pedophile; yet when you see what importance he has on Howies' life you begin to feel sympathetic for the man. Regardless of this, there are no inapropriate sex scenes, over the top violence, or extreme vulgar language that you find in most movies today. Yet this was unfortunetly given an NC-17 rating, stopping many people from viewing this terrific film. Keep an open mind when watching this film and take it for what it is, an extremely down to earth, emotional coming of age story. I honestly cannot give enough praise to director Michael Cuesta and actors Paul Franklin Dano and Brian Cox. Independent or not, this has to be one of the best films of 2001 - A must see for any movie fan!
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