Something has gone wrong with our circuitry, circuitry born from experience, life, family, and burnt out from everything since. We are left with the pieces, trying to make sense of our lives or what's left of it, and the past doesn't leave us alone. We are rejected and left with a want for the future, but the future remains out of reach, shielded by darkness, and only the unknown greets us as loneliness takes us by the hand. We need to know that we are not alone, so we search, we hope to find one voice to hear us, hear the stories that we are forced to live, trying to find the way out. But what if there is no way out except for one door that hypothetically we could enter, leaving everything behind? Would we be missed, but should we even think like that? At least, she hears us, and maybe, just maybe, through her voice, her emotion, we find what we desperately seek, a connection, a reminder that no, we are not lost. We are just human.

One-actor movies "Buried" & "Locke" were surprisingly good, but "The Listener" is more the art-house bore many would expect such films to be. Samaritans-style helpline worker Tessa Thompson does a night-shift at home taking random, unrelated calls (from various voices inc Rebecca Hall) whose tones range from disturbing to sad to quirky. It'll shine on Thompson's CV (especially as she is great) and Steve Buscemi directs his first film since 2007 with intimate warmth, but Alessandro Camon's plotless character-study screenplay is too self-indulgently pretentious to make it entertaining. Props indeed to helpline workers... but this one's still a dull movie. Flush it.

"Nothing happens." The 2022 film titled "The Listener" directed by Steve Buscemi explores the harsh realities of the human psyche and its pitfalls. The story follows Maggie who works for a help hotline, answering calls from lonely, confused, and mentally unstable people whose stories spark a gnawing and uncomfortable effect on her. The protagonist takes on the moniker Beth to protect herself from the intrusiveness of callers. The main character Beth has a one-on-one dialogue with mentally distraught callers. Their stories often trigger her PTSD from her former life. Throughout the course of the film, little nuggets of information about the protagonist are revealed to the audience. One might decree that the whole movie feels like a 'one woman show'. It takes place primarily in Beth's house, apart from the last scene where the character goes on a stroll with her dog. Tessa Thompson is the only person seen on-screen, while the rest of the actors can only be heard. The movie perfectly captures the intrinsic value of the human spirit and showcases the complexities of good and evil. The film is inherently about the protagonist coming to grips with her past and reconciling and accepting her former self's flaws and insecurities. The last shot of the movie where Maggie lets her hair down showcases her growth and carefree and free-spirited nature. Tessa Thompson looks utterly beguiling, and I barely even recognized her in some scenes. This film only proves her versatility as an actress even further. Her acting range has always been impressive, but here it reaches new ground. I wouldn't go as far as saying that this is a career best performance from her, but it certainly made a lasting impression. One gripe I have with the film is that it feels too melancholic and slow at times. Even though, a melodrama is supposed to move at a rather gradual pace, I thought this movie should have picked up its momentum faster. To conclude, at its core this movie is a sort of character study, emphasizing on dialogue and emotion, rather than telling a fully fleshed out story with fully realized characters. Its non-linear narrative helps to showcase realism effectively. Steve Buscemi tackled this deeply vexing story with sincerity and pathos. Also, he incorporates excellent use of the close-up. The filmmaking style is certainly not for everyone's liking. The close-ups capture the mental anguish of the protagonist, making the spectator understand their point of view. Steve Buscemi's film "The Listener" claims niche status, yet that should not stop avid filmgoers to see this movie. Other tidbits: *One of the things I loved about the film is that the humour is very subtle and cleverly incorporated in the script. Final verdict: 6.5/10.

They only talk and talk and talk and its just boring i don't care about your problems or about anything that's bothering these characters because I don't know their faces its just pathetic and its not fun, the thor girl is a very good actress but she is don't nothing here its just kinda boring tbh, we need to change that and maje better one location movies ok, this doesn't work for me ok so lets try to ask for better movies and bot this things lets just try ok, Bucemi i iinow someone did something horrible in New York to you but we didn't deserve this from you either ok, lets try maaie better movies.

"The Listener" is a very very quiet film. The story of a woman who works as a telephone counsellor naturally holds the material for various psychological thrillers. But that's not the case here, even though one or the other caller certainly carries the potential for dangerous encounters. Beth, her working name, is very unagitated and sensitive with her customers, tends to block personal questions and even hangs up when the conversation suddenly starts to drift towards phone sex. But even the average caller demands all of Beth's attention, a fact that we learn in the course of the film is what Beth likes most about this job. In general, despite her detached attitude towards personal issues, we slowly learn more and more of her story as well. Director Steve Buscemi, in front of the camera more specialized in gangster roles or losers, shows himself here from a completely different side, takes himself as a director very back and leaves his great actress of Beth, Tessa Thompson, all the space she needs. The camera glides unobtrusively with her through the rooms, while the voices of the callers more or less get to her and demand a lot from her. More and more she feels lured out of her reserve in the course of the evening and her protective wall crumbles visibly. Tessa Thompson, who is also one of the producers of the film, is in full control of her role and that is what keeps the viewer tuning in. Her acting leaves enough questions unanswered to make this so uncharacteristically American film worth our attention until the last minute. The film is done in rich warm tones, we feel comfortable here with Beth, the camera doesn't leave the house until the very end. We experience a night with Beth on the phone, all callers remain voices, except for her only her dog is present. The camera keeps finding new positions to hold our attention in this very limited setting. Despite this simple situation, the film never gets boring, each caller is exciting because, like Beth, we have no idea what his/her motive is for calling. Nevertheless, there is a great sense of release at the end when Beth finally walks her dog at the end of her shift and we can take a breath with her and look at the city in the morning haze.

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