Henry Fool
A Film by Hal Hartley
Catalog No. MC-481
Feature,
Narrative
1997, 137 min.
DVD,
Region: 1
TV System: NTSC
ISBN: 140493202X
UPC: 43396009837
Label: Possible Films
|
 |
|
|
|
Simon is a quiet, unassuming garbage man supporting his clinically depressed mother and his bored, over sexed sister. They have a new tenant in their cheap and damp basement apartment; an ex-convict sex offender, a colossal egomaniac, a loud, chain-smoking, beer-guzzling self-styled guerrilla intellectual named Henry Fool. Nobody knows where he comes from and nobody knows when he'll leave. But in the meantime, he'll explode the lives of everyone he comes into contact with. Writing his controversial "Confession", a sprawling opus, which he expects, will create a sensation, like the immortal writings of the Marquis de Sade or the confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Henry Fool takes Simon under his wing and helps the young garbage man overcome his low self-esteem by urging him to write down his thoughts.
The result is a book-length manifesto, an epic poem of startling significance to some, and utter menace to others. It makes Simon world famous overnight while Henry's "Confession" is dismissed as inept and pretentious. Their friendship is tested. Together, Simon and Henry endure tragedy and celebration, life and death. Henry Fool changes everyone's life in this small and normal suburban community and, in the end, vanishes in the same furious and mysterious way he entered it; perfectly honest, totally outrageous, and in really big trouble.
This DVD has never been screened
Reviews and Other Info:
2006-09-28 efilmcritic.com
By Chris Parry
James Urbaniak is Simon Grim, garbageman, a tortured soul who everyone assumes is retarded. When gruff, drunken wanna-be poet Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan) stumbles into his life and hands over a pencil and noteboook, Simon discovers he can write.
But Simon doesn't just write. He writes from the soul. His poetry causes some people to react violently and some to react spiritually. He hits a chord with enough folks to have the world beating on his door, but can sociopath Henry do the same?
Aside from the poetry, Simon's family is a mess. His sister, Faye (Parker Posey going for drudgery over glamor for a change) is the town trampoline, his mother (Maria Porter) is house-bound and useless.
His neigbors aren't much better. Warren (Kevin Corrigan, once again proving he is a fine character actor) goes from beating Simon up daily to becoming a young republican and child molester. The local Priest (Nicholas Hope of Bad Boy Bubby fame) is disillusioned with the church and ina constant staet of depression.
Why is everyone so screwed up? Well, have you taken a look around outside lately?
But I digress. This story focusses on the manic nature of Henry Fool and is played wonderfully well by all in the cast. The script is typical Hartley and runs just the other side of well-paced, the scenery is grim, the cast underplayed and non-hammy.
If you missed this two and a half hour feast on the big screen, it might be tough to sit through on video. If you can still get it on the screen, go see it. Great movie. |
|
Exhibition:
Microcinema is not authorized to represent this title for exhibition. Write us for this contact information |
|
|
|
|
