VIDEO OF THE WEEK
L.I.E. (2001)
Director: Michael Cuesta
QQQ1/2
Despite this indie effort's totally undeserved NC-17 rating, there's nothing much here that warrants such a warning label. It's certainly far more tame than an odious piece of kiddie porn such as Larry Clark's Bully, which says something, considering L.I.E.'s rather dicey subject matter. For 15-year-old Howie (Paul Franklin Dano), life has become a seemingly endless string of losses. His mother's dead, his distant father is about to be arrested for skimming profits off his contracting business and his best friend, Gary (Billy Kay), is threatening to move away. Not that Gary's much of an influence. The two pass most of their time committing thrill robberies among the suburban housing tracts off the Long Island Expressway (the L.I.E. of the title). But Howie learns a thing or two about his friend when they pilfer from Big John (Brian Cox), a respected local who also happens to have a proclivity for young boys. But director Michael Cuesta doesn't paint Cox as lascivious boogeyman. And Cox's solid yet sympathetic performance makes it tough to hate Big John, in spite of his unacceptable appetites. The thought of a pedophile actually helping a young man discover his potential without expecting sex in return must have been too much for the MPAA, as it might be for some audiences, but L.I.E. has enough nice surprises to make it worth stomaching the subject matter. There are rated and non rated versions available. The rating is for sexual subject matter, strong language. The DVD includes commentary by director Michael Cuesta and actor Brian Cox. deleted scenes and widescreen format.