Rating: 
Summary: Do you know where your kids are . . .
Review: This movie is a metaphor for kids growing up today in suburban america and the troubles they face. A real coming-of-age film. Howie looses everyone he cares about but in the end this helps him grow and discover his true self. One of the most realistic portrayals of suburban adolescence today!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie That Breaks Taboos
Review: I bought this movie after hearing a lot of hype about it. I must say it was excellent! Paul Freanklin Dano puts on an excellent preformance as Howie, a confused teenager coming to grips with his screwed up life, and Brian Cox is excellent as Big John, a pedophile who gets more than he bargained for with Howie. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who wants a generally good story.
Rating: 
Summary: Emotionally Disturbing
Review: I found this movie seriously emotionally disturbing and upsetting. Whici is why for me the rating is so low. I did not deal with it well. But trying to detachmyself form the emotional asspect of it. It was an interesting perspective that we don't often see. I think it was effectively filmed and the dialog was well written. It took a lot of courage to make this film. If you find yourself very disturbed by this type of subject matter as I am, I don't recommend it, you'll be sorry you went. But otherwise I'd definitly say its worth a viewing.
Rating:
Summary: Brian Cox Is Going Places With His Performance
Review: What can I say? This movie is one of thoes movies that leave you with the feeling of wanting to go back and watch it again, now for all you children who say this movie is only for [people] your wrong, its a movie every child can see, and even one they can relate too.
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Summary: As disturbing as it is real
Review: .... i rented L.I.E. the movie was vary true. i work with boys from broken homes and some will look for love and guidence in many places just as Howie did. Child predators come in maby shapes ushley careing for the child which makes detecting them vary hard if they have been into boys for a long while. Big John is a piller of the community a friend of the principle and cops. Parents and Social workers should see this movie. its as true as it is disturbing. a vary well acted and vary real story.
Rating: 
Summary: Can only be described as "REAL"
Review: Howie is a beautiful fifteen year old boy who has recently lost his mother and is struggling to accept his father's girlfriend as well as his own strong feelings for his friend with whom he breaks into houses. He gets caught after a break in by 'Big John' who finds young boys quite attractive. His friend runs off to another state and leaves Howie in the midst of this. Slowly a relationship that lies somewhere between pederasty and father-son develops between 'Big John' and Howie. It is disturbing at times to witness the relationships in this movie because of how gritty, painful, and even heartfelt they can be but the love that 'Big John' and Howie have is very unique and it can only be described as something rare and beautiful. I would hate to think that there are people out there who would discount the value of this movie just because it deals with homosexuality and also with intergenerational love. The cinematography is OUTSTANDING and brings something irreplaceble to the film. The end of this movie is rather on the anticlimactic side and leaves you wondering if the reel snapped. In retrospect it leaves nothing to be desired and leaves you with a substantial amount of food for thought.
Rating:
Summary: Way overrated
Review: I went in expecting a lot and was resoundly disappointed. I didn't believe any of the performance, the plot had amazing logical gaps and the characters were neither interesting nor believable.Hated it is a little strong, but I disliked it a lot.
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Summary: A cinematic statement reaffirming faith in message films
Review: L.I.E. is one of those films that should be included in a festival of movies for exploring minds. A story of today's isolated, terrified, lonely kids who will grasp at any straws that promise support of them in any way, L.I.E. manages to focus a microscope on one element of this fringe population. The only adult figure who is even vaguely in tune with the plight of lost children is a pedophile - and as that character, Brian Cox brings a new understanding of both his own "character type" and those of his "victims". Why the quotation marks? See this superbly made and incredibly well acted movie and see if you don't have new insights into the variations of "normal" behavior we so quickly condemn. Enlightening and important.
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Summary: Hands down the best film of 2001
Review: Far and away the best movie of last year. Incredible acting. Incredible screenplay. Incredible all over the place, watch it now.
Rating:
Summary: A controversial, disturbing, wonderfully brilliant film!
Review: 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. Howie(a stunning performance by newbie actor Paul Franklin Dano) is a 15 year old boy growing up in Long Island. His mother was killed on the L.I.E(long island expressway), his estranged father hardly knows him, he only has 1 friend who is planning on leaving for california. So needless to say Howie has nothing. This movie is a coming of age story where howie befriends a pederast named Big John(brilliantlly portrayed by veteran actor Brian Cox, the original Hannibal Lector) who ends up becomming a father figure to Howie. 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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