Tenderness is the new film by Australian director and Tropfest founder, John Polson starring Russell Crowe and relative newcomer Sophie Traub. While the film benefits from a strong start and uniformly excellent performances it falters in the second half with convoluted character and plot development that lessens the emotional impact of the story.
 
The film, based on the book by Robert Cormier of the same name, follows the lives of three characters at the moment their paths meet. Eric Poole (Jon Foster) is released from juvenile detention after serving time for the brutal murder of his family. Upon his discharge he finds a lively and somewhat strange devotee in Lori (Sophie Traub) who desperately seeks the attention of the “reformed” sociopath. Along for the ride is Detective Cristofuoro (Crowe) who follows Poole believing he’s still a murdering menace and a danger to society.

John Polson has come a long way since directing the mediocre thrillers Hide & Seek and Swimfan. Tenderness is by no means a classic but it shows Polson’s abilities behind the camera amount to more than bland suspense or procedural TV shows. 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.   

The majority of the film plays somewhat like a road trip movie and while the first act manages to powerfully introduce all the characters it seems to lose its way from then on. This is an absolute pity because the main characters are quite interesting but are let down thanks to certain forced plot contrivances.

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. As expected Crowe is always a reliable talent and manages to make what amounts to a supporting character as interesting and endearing as the leads.

Ultimately the film is somewhat of a disappointment given the strong start but Traub’s performance is so captivating she makes the unfortunate twists and turns bearable.

Tenderness opens in Australian cinemas on April 30.
You can view the Tenderness movie trailer here on TheVine.