Light Sleeper Movie

Light Sleeper
Rating:
Run Time: 105 min
MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1992
Directors: Paul Schrader
Genre/Type: Drama
Crime Drama
Addiction Drama
Psychological Drama
Producers: Linda Reisman
G. Mac Brown
Plot Synopsis by Paul Brenner
Paul Schrader's brilliant study of another alienated urban denizen skirting the borderline of madness stars Willem Dafoe as John Le Tour, a rich, upscale drug dealer for Manhattan professionals -- "White drugs for white people," as he puts it. John is a recovering addict and for him it's the perfect job, as he can relate completely with the self-absorbed eccentrics he services. But when his boss Ann (Susan Sarandon) tells John that she is planning to abandon the drug business for herbal cosmetics, John's life is thrown into disarray. With no future plans, he sees black clouds heading his way. Coincidentally, he runs into Marianne (Dana Delany), an old girlfriend and former addict who has returned to New York to be with her dying mother. John sees Marianne as his redemption and starts to pursue her, but she doesn't want to be reminded of her past. When the murder of an Upper West Side woman involved in a drug transaction has the police scouring the town for suspects, John thinks they are following him, and the strain upon his life and his hopes for the future become harder and harder to bear.

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liljakem, There's no good solution to what you ask - in my opinion, but if you want to sleep light - leave the front door unlocked at night. That would do it for me. Problem is - you won't get enough deep sleep. Deep sleep is a requirement ...
A story about the discovery of the spirit, the Lure of Decadence, and the Chance for Escape. [Australia theatrical] more
heavy. My parents will ask if I heard the thunderstorm or something during the night and I'm just like no, I didn't hear anything.
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Cast

Actors Character Born
Willem Dafoe John LeTour Jul 22, 1955 in Appleton, WI
Susan Sarandon Ann Oct 4, 1946 in New York City, NY
Dana Delany Marianne Mar 13, 1956 in New York City, NY
David Clennon Robert May 10, 1943 in Waukegan, IL
Mary Beth Hurt Teresa Aranow Sep 26, 1948 in Marshalltown, IA
Victor Garber Tis Mar 16, 1949 in London, Ontario, Canada
Jane Adams Randi Apr 1, 1965 in Washington, D.C.
Arcoiris Medina Woman at Laundromat
Billy Joe Novinski Baseball Card Fan
Bernadette Jurkowski French Girl
Jennifer Fowler Woman at Bar
Paul Jabara Eddie Jan 31, 1948 in Brooklyn, NY
David Sukoff Baseball Card Fan
Carolyn L.A. Walker Police Woman
Damien Corrente Baseball Card Fan
Rene Rivera Manuel
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Back to the topReview

Review by Brian J. Dillard
Of the many dark morality plays written and/or directed by Paul Schrader, Light Sleeper is one of the best plotted and acted. From Susan Sarandon's breezy, ballsy businesswoman to Willem Dafoe's conflicted dealer and Dana Delany's mournful ex-addict, the cast fires on all cylinders. The same goes for supporting players Jane Adams, David Spade, and Mary Beth Hurt (the wife of Paul Schrader). None of these actors would be able to shine, though, if it weren't for the director's tight, moody script and direction. Schrader and cinematographer Edward Lachman paint a Manhattan composed entirely of greys, both visual and moral. Full of well-heeled, anesthetized sufferers, the New York of Light Sleeper is a place of restless nights and spiritual ache -- the perfect backdrop for the mute but visually acute suffering that plays across the taut faces of Delany and Dafoe. The only distraction from all of this meditative sorrow is the execrable musical accompaniment of Michael Been, whose ponderous lyrics too explicitly explain emotions that are already apparent in the script and performances. Despite this single pervasive flaw, the compelling Light Sleeper should unite fans of gritty true-crime fare and visceral drama.
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