The relationship between this fiftysomething man and this smart, needy but resilient boy is at the heart of “L.I.E.” It’s a queasy courtship, whose balance of power is always shifting, as Howie gets his first sense that he possesses sexual power. As played by the spellbinding Scottish actor Cox, Big John is an ominous, creepy figure, but he’s also the only empathetic adult in sight. His concern for Howie is as real as his guilt-ridden desires are out of bounds. Cox wrings every drop of complexity out of this sinister yet oddly sympathetic figure. It’s too bad that at the very end “L.I.E.” settles for an easy, melodramatic resolution; it flies in the face of everything that makes this perceptive, original movie so special.
L.I.E.Lot 47 Films Opens Sept. 7
