Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Wordiezett So much average

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

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. ****

nhr_215 This movie was very well done but also quite disturbing. I don't know who wrote that this is a look "typical suburban life" but nothing could be further from the truth. This is the story of an alienated young boy who becomes the prey of the local pedophile. It realistically portrays both characters well, including the self-hate inherent in the pedophile's role as well as some of the emotional needs he fills for the alienated mother-less and essentially father-less boy. It is obviously disturbing by its very nature (unless watching a 15 year old boy getting blackmailed into having sex with a 60 year old man isn't disturbing to you) but very well done. The child actors are superb as is the actor playing the pedophile Big John. Its a thought-provoking but jarring look at an under-represented subject.

stevejamisonlmi This movie was a kind of random pick at the video store. I only read the back and figured it might be an OK movie. Having my mom's life cut short I though it might be a movie a can relate to. Wow is all I can say. Very powerful movie that has so much for anyone regardless of age. It touched on very relevant topics that kids and parents should be aware of. Having grown up in the burbs and having a father who to this day is very much like Howies father I relived many feeling I did when I was 15. The way that Howie misses his mom and the poems associated were so personal to me. The feelings of loss displayed in this movie are so close to the ones I still have today. This movie has made my top 10 list for sure.

Andy (film-critic) I went into this film with some rather high expectations. I hate doing that with cinema, but when you find a film with as much praise as this film garnered, you do have a moment of anticipation as you begin your newfound movie adventure. I expected to see a riveting story, powerful climactic acting, and social challenges coupled with iconic symbolism. I expected this with L.I.E. because of the swooning nature of the "entertainment" critics. Instead, what was handed to me was a choppy film with superb acting, but filled with a plethora of open ended questions that director Michael Cuesta obviously had no intention of answering. With interchangeable characters, intermittent sub-stories, and humor that seemed more glamorized for pre-teens than the mature audience watching this film, L.I.E. came in as nothing more than a major disappointment. I will sit on my comforting chair and applaud the acting that surrounded this film (ie Brian Cox and Paul Dano's chemistry was better than most Hollywood pre-pairings), but I cannot say the same for the story or overall theme of this film. L.I.E. could have been a power film about family dystopia, about the impressions of youth due to family trauma, and the power of sex in a teenage life, but instead this film transformed into nothing more than simple shock-o-rama with some hidden gems wedged nearly out of the eyes view.I think what disgruntled me the most about this film was the jagged storyline that Cuesta submerged his characters into. Here are a couple of examples that strained both my mind as well as my cinematic taste: the unbinding relationship between Gary and Howie, the puzzling scene between Howie's dad and his lawyer (can anyone say AWKWARD), the sporadic bits of humor spliced within Howie's thieve circle (random friend sleeping with sister), as well as the struggling "man-boy" living with Big John that obviously needed no introduction or story. It was these small loose ends that I felt Cuesta just couldn't focus on, thus ultimately destroying this film. What irked me further was that there was much potential in Cuesta's story that if these loose ends would have been taken out this would have been a very moving and influential film. This movie is the perfect example of what happens when directors attempt to bring too much into the story thinking that it will add either 1) shock value (who wouldn't want the next Kids film on their hands!) or 2) completely destroy the character giving us a hopeless victim that we need to instantly feel sympathy towards. As I watched L.I.E., I found myself enjoying the connections that Cuesta was developing between parenthood and relationships. What could have been viewed as a film concerning pedophilia instead moved to a movie about a lost boy searching for any form of guidance, acceptance, and involvement. I thought Cuesta hit this primary target straight forward, but with his annoying random intermittent sub-stories he could not keep my attention from beginning to end. He was a tease. He would grab me emotionally, and then obtrusively forcing me to go with scenes like Howie's father running through his yard evading the F.B.I. How embarrassing for a film of this nature as well as for Michael Cuesta.Again, what saved this film from utter mediocrity was the power of Brian Cox. Rumors have spread that he was advised not to take this role by business associates and friends, but he pushed forward giving us a new face and personality to pedophilia. What made him so incredible in this film was his attention to detail, his level of humanity, and the sincerity of his actions. Sure, what he did behind closed doors is considered evil in our society, but he took his character away from that society cliché. He transformed this vile character into that of family. For most actors, that would be very difficult to do, but for Cox it seemed to come with complete and utter ease. The scene that stands out the most in my mind was when his "man-boy" made the comment to him about "being ashamed", Cox responded with "I feel shame every day". The humility of his character was ingenious. He wasn't this monster (though he had the characteristics of one), but instead a troubled man that was looking – much like Howie – for companionship. Also, Cox's character wouldn't have worked if it weren't for Paul Dano. He was so young in this role, yet he seemed to give us more connectiveness to his character than most other films. We found ourselves rooting for him, and at the same time feeling pity for him. He portrayed the "tag-along" with ease and stability. Dano and Cox were the staples to this film, and I must credit Cuesta for bringing these two together – even though he couldn't bring the entirety of the film together.Overall, I thought this was nothing more than a mediocre film with above averaging acting coming from Brian Cox and Paul Dano. Cuesta had a sincere film in his hands, but the placement of incoherent sub-stories dismantled the overall tone/story right before our eyes. The youthful jokes between friends, the zigzag nature of Gary's actions, the insincerity of Howie's badly acted father, and the poorly illustrated "man-boy" at Big John's house could have been strong building blocks to this film, but instead because of the candid nature of it completely destroyed L.I.E. I could find myself suggest this film to friends just one due to the interest twist that Cuesta used to compare the family dynamic to pedophilia, but that would be it. One viewing only and I must pull off the Long Island Expressway to find a less bumpy route! Grade: *** out of *****