Henry Fool (1997)

I found myself in a bizarre predicament with this film. It was a film that I could easily see myself discussing with a group of friends, and remained thinking about it after seeing it. However, I got no enjoyment out of it. From an intellectual point of view there were plenty of topics worthy of discussing, such as the worth of the mass view of your work and what constitutes art versus pornography but the problem for me was the presentation of these ideas.

For me, the supposed hero of the story did nothing of his own accord and was led around by the ear of the title character doing exactly what he said. It's hard to root for him if he really has no stock in what he is doing. As well, the title character Henry Fool is unlikeable, and not just because he has a history of deviance. He practically forces his desire for success on someone who otherwise would not want it. There is no dynamic between the two, just a man and his tool that he uses for his own personal gains. To me, neither was likable and it ruined the chance of me rooting for their successes.

Meanwhile, the film as a whole seemed needlessly self referential, occasionally fashioning some blatant point through the main character's work or another character's comment that applies almost directly to the film itself. It makes it feel as if the characters are only ways of forcing the writer's concepts about his own work to come to the open, and it uses them for whatever it wants and lets them pick up the pieces afterward.

After all this, however, I think that I would still recommend you watch the film. While I have much bad to say about it, it made me think, and when any film does this, it is worth watching simply because I can easily see how a variety of opinions could be formed about the film. Furthermore, not being a writer I found it difficult to identify with any of the predicaments, which might add a personal touch to those who can. At the least I can appreciate an intelligent man trying to make a film of the topics that feel relevant to him.

Fmovies: This is a story of a whirlwind force of character that blusters in and transmogrifies a community for both good and bad. In doing so, the essence of the neighborhood is somehow brought to engender the truth of being, and to simply live life through experience, eschewing society's rules of proper conduct. In doing so, a caricatured world is created that seems pleasantly larger than life in order to express some greater deed. The result is brilliant. The characters are quirky and disturbingly fun, largely unbelievable and yet endearing in a unique fashion. The dialog was memorably sensational, with Henry Fool leading the pack with his celebrated utterances. The direction was the culmination of Hal Hartley's greater experience rolled up into one amazing flick. AS well, the camera man was unobtrusively masterful, using the tricks of the trade with subtle wit. Both painfully direct and wickedly humorous, Henry Fool ends with the same symbolic mastery of his awe-inspiring entrance. Merci beaucoup.

Genruk of Evil Eye Reviews

The most underrated movie I've seen...

This week, I wanted to watch the best of the best movies that I haven't seen, and out of all the movies like "Se7en", "The Usual Suspects" and "The Green Mile", that are considered the best of the best, the only one worth the 10, is this little known indie film.

There's just something special about this movie I cant describe. The acting is top notch, as well as writing, and the ending is ingenious.

But, I do think some people will dislike this movie. Some, like me, will love it, some will find it bad but there is no way to give this movie less than 4/10.

Henry Fool fmovies. If you like a movie that is character driven, you'll love Henry Fool which was written and directed by Hal Hartley. This movie abounds with interesting, quirky characters. The leads, Mr. Ryan, the title character, and Mr. Urbaniak, were terrific. The plot, where the teacher/student or leader/follower is reversed during the course of the story is not unique but is presented well. The other characters, Ms. Posey and Mr. Corrigan, undergo significant development as well. I don't want to give away too much but I will say that this movie involves characters that are not politically correct and bathroom humor (literally). The movie is long but you won't notice it as the movie is rich with dialogue (listen carefully), constantly changing scenes, and as already stated well developed chang ing characters. I've deliberately avoided the plot until now because I was afraid I would say too much, but it involves a drif ter writer (and much more) Henry Fool who encourages a plain introverted garbage man, Simon, to write down his thoughts. The other characters Ms. Posey, Simon's sister, his mother, and Mr. Corrigan, thug patriot(?) are interesting as well. My thanks to all involved for a great afternoon's entertainment. Three plus stars.

I still am in shock over what i just saw. Henry Fool has got to be the best full length film ever!!!!.....Ok, maybe not. But it is a close second to whatever movie I can't think of right now. I am visibly shaken by the feelings i experienced from watching it. The only other movie that comes to mind as being absolutely essential to see would be Surviving Desire which is also a Hal Hartley Masterpiece. Who is this genius and when can I meet him to thank him for changing my life?? Ever since I witnessed Martin Donovan's character Jude in Surviving Desire, I have been possessed with the will to live every moment of my life without pausing to think of how much pain I may experience from caring about someone or letting my feelings be known. Now, with Henry Fool I feel like Hartley has realized what he is best at and returned to what he knows is his best work. James Urbaniak is amazing! I hope to see him in many more movies. I have been so disillusioned by the so called critically acclaimed actors like Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro. It is so refreshing to see an actor like James Urbaniak. He gives me hope for the future. I am also happy to know that Hartley continues to work with Parker Posey. Henry Fool is my pick for Movie of the Decade!!!

Proof that famously idiosyncratic filmmaker Hal Hartley can expand the emotional and intellectual range of his often dismayingly bloodless work without compromising the skewed, life on the fringes vision that has built him a cult following. This resonant examination of friendship, fame, cultural trends, and the creative process, stars a garbage man and a mysterious bum. James Urbaniak is the socially challenged trash hauler -Simon Grim who lives with his severely depressed mother and slutty, acerbic sister in a cramped in Queens, N.Y. Thomas Jay Ryan is Henry Fool, the drinking drifter who moves into their basement, claiming to be a writer whose unpublished epic manuscript would shake of the world - if Henry ever allowed it to be published. (In fact he's talent free.) But it's Simon who becomes the literary star. Encouraged by his new friend, the trashman who never wrote before, turns out to be a natural poet, moving (and outraging) the public with the power of his words. The director packs a lot of tender heartache into the Grim household, and he presses his finger firmly on the bruised place in America where celebrity becomes its own curse. (In a great conceit, we never see of hear a word of Simon's masterpiece.) Hartley remains an acquired taste (for views with a lot of time to dine - this sitting runs about two hours and twenty minutes). But with "Henry Fool" he offers a lot to chew on.