MIRED in a painful separation from his lover, celebrated gay radio talk show host Gabriel Noone (Robin Williams) shuffles through his daily routine like a man condemned.

Following a meeting with his publisher, Gabriel becomes strangely fixated on the soon-to-be-published memoirs of a teenager called Pete (Rory Culkin), who was sexually abused by his parents, and now lives in care with a woman called Donna (Toni Collette).

Gabriel and the boy strike up a friendship via telephone and e-mail, and they make plans to meet. When Noone's ex voices doubts about the veracity of the youngster's shocking story, Gabriel contemplates the possibility that Pete might not be all he seems. Desperate to know the truth, the radio host sets out to find the elusive Pete and Donna and determine their trustworthiness for himself.

The Night Listener is a routine thriller that spells out each plot twist well in advance. Williams plays his emotionally damaged protagonist with such passivity, we're hard pushed to believe he is in turmoil. In stark contrast, Collette is excellent as an overly protective mother.