arul-nandaraja I like Howie Blitzer's acting & gave 9 stars because of this

thinker1691 The Writer and Director of this incredible film Called " Long Island Expressway " is non other than Michael Cuesta. In this day and age, this type of film challenges not only social convention but moral platitudes as well. Indeed, any solid actor has to fear possible Ridicule and also the disdain from critics and small minded individuals as well. However the main cast which includes Brian Cox (Superb performance) as John Harrigan and Paul Dano as Howie Blitzer do such a brilliant job, they are sure to earn great praise, awards and high acclaim when accepting such hazardous roles. Their characters in this movie are sure to attract social venom, vile comment, and stern condemnation, but is doesn't alter the fact that stories such as these, need to be addressed, not shunned. The world is filled with such stories and burying ones' head in the sand will not dissipate their fear, nor make them go away. In essence, the film reveals the life of fifteen-year-old Howie Blitzer who's mother has died and who's' father is facing Federal incarceration. Further, his best friend is a house-robbing thief, male prostitute, who with his other friends are juvenile delinquents seeking kicks. Howie himself feels abandoned by his abusive and absent father and is easy prey for his close friend John. Sensing the lonely boy struggles with his anger, sorrow and personal demons, John offers understanding, shelter and companionship. However, John, a retired, ex-military man suffers from his own dark desires which includes rebellious teen-age run-aways. Together, the two are drawn towards dangerous goals which invite disaster. Adding to the danger of the two are their youthful friends. There is Howie's friend, Gary, an unstable teen kleptomaniac forever seeking the Big Score which will allow him to escape to California and John's envious teenage house guest who believes he's about to be replaced by a younger boy. The story is one of pain, sadness, redemption and hope, none of which come in abundance. However, the movie is unlike most and future audiences Will judge if the writer has created a monster or a Classic. Recommended to anyone with an open mind. ****

CountZero313 A 15-year-old boy, Howie, still mourning the death of his mother, hangs about with the wrong crowd at high school. Dad is too wrapped up in his crumbling business to take notice of his son's drift. School are over-worked and for them Howie will be one of many who slips through the safety net. As bad goes to worse, someone has to step into the void to be a crutch for Howie. This opens the door for Big John, a local made man and a predator on young boys. Like so many other kids, a lack of supervision exposes Howie to exploitation.That storyline never quite realises its potential in this bitty, at times infuriating story. Too many contradictions and narrative dead-ends present themselves. Howie's friend Gary is a very disturbed boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He envies Howie's middle class lifestyle, and Howie is too wrapped up in himself to see it. Except when push comes to shove, Howie finds it in himself to break into Gary's place and steal some guns. It makes for some nice visual inter-cutting (by virtue of the fact that Gary is simultaneously breaking into Howie's home), but in terms of character consistency makes no sense. Big John is a very sinister, very dangerous man, who preys on the young and vulnerable. And yet something about Howie ignites a noble streak in him, so that any sense of threat by Big John is quickly marked absent, and we are asked to believe that Howie's plight has brought out BJ's good side. Except that BJ is sick, and Howie is hardly credible as the cure.Howie is supposed to be confused and vulnerable, but quotes Walt Whitman in a confident and articulate style that belies his 15 years. At this point we see Paul Dano, trained actor, rather than the character he is playing.What was this film trying to say? That we are all shades of grey? Sh*t happens? Somewhere along the line, the thread of cause and effect got lost in this film. There are some nice moments - the Dad seeing his dead wife in every room - but none of it connects and the whole thing just does not hold together. Although the action being played out is believable, the psychology behind it is not, and any connection to other events and relationships in the film is tenuous. Something, many things, just seem missing here.

tom van de Bospoort I have recently found this title, one of my favourite films now, as we go into the 2010 Edinburgh International Film Festival, this was a winner in 2003, I hope the new film by Dagur Kari, the director of Noi Albinoi, and the actors Paul Dano and Brian Cox will be as good. This film L.I.E, the best film I have seen since Just Another Love Story, and before that Let the Right one in. a definite must see, and if you like this one then try Mysterious Skin very similar but very different film. L.I.E a killer performance by Paul Dano, with this film you can see a brilliant actor who fits the role and accompanied by Brian Cox, the two of them bouncing off each other giving a real glow to the film, creating many memorable scenes.