Henry Poole Is Here

On a marque crammed with tired summer offerings of over-the-top comedies and action films, I spotted the sweet, small film, "Henry Poole is Here." Like a name sprawled under an aqueduct bridge, it was barely noticeable.

"Henry Poole is Here" is a quiet little film with a big premise. What do you do when you're an atheist and you learn you have six weeks to live? If you're Henry Poole, (Luke Wilson), you buy a house in a neighborhood where nobody knows you, numb yourself with booze, and wait around to die - alone. Henry's plan to fade away unnoticed is disrupted when his neighbor, Esperanza, (Adrianna Barrazza) starts worshiping a water-stained image of Christ she sees on his stucco wall.

To make matters worse, Esperanza is moved to share this miracle with her church and friends. A silent little girl tape records Henry's pleas to be left alone. But Henry never gets his wish. The little girl and her luminescent mother (Radha Mitchell) enter his life to show him that we are all here for a reason. In fact, the whole neighborhood is there for him - whether he likes it or not.

The director, Mark Pellington, leaves it for us to decide whether we believe it's a miracle or not. At first, we don't even get to see what Esperanza is looking at. Later, we see the stain, but the face is kind of illusive - sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. The film doesn't tell you what to believe. But it shows the strength in believing and especially our belief in others.

Hopefully, this film doesn't fade away unnoticed amidst the jungle of summer releases. Hopefully, it finds a community that believes in it. This is a movie about hope, after all. I, for one, believe.

Movie blessings! Jana Segal reelinspiration dot blogspot dot com

...and as such it doesn't do much for me. It uses the old and tried recipe of the trial of faith story, where the nasty atheist and hater of all thing living is brought to love life and thus save himself. If only real life would work like that.

I can just imagine some poor sap, dying of a terminal disease, watching this movie and laughing his behind off while crying at the same time. This kind of a film is what romantic movies are for real life love: a fairy tale, a beautiful lie that makes one (not terminally ill) feel better about oneself.

The acting was top notch, I liked all that character interpretations, the soundtrack was full of Dylan and U2 (can't have faith without good music, after all) and, even if somewhat boring, it was a decent film.

However, for me personally, it was annoying as hell. Having identified myself with the main character, I kept shouting at poor Luke Wilson: "Use some paint!", "call the police!", "break the damn wall!". If neighbours in the US are like that, no wonder some people become serial killers :)

Bottom line: if you have faith, watch this movie. Faith that it would do something for you, I mean.

From time to time I had wondered how I would react if some doctor was to tell me I have X- number of days left to live. One plan I have is to quit the job, sell off everything, pack some essentials into a backpack, and hit the road to travel round the world, even though I know at some point I would probably succumb to whatever's sapping my life away, and at some unknown place, but man, imagine the adventure where risk is but a word in the dictionary.

Or I could opt for what Henry Poole (Luke Wilson) did, buying a house with whatever available cash, binge on vodka and pizza, and live life like a recluse with doors shut and heavy curtains drawn. He's been told that his lifespan is expiring soon, and tries unsuccessfully to buy the house he grew up in, settling instead for a substitute a few blocks down, and shutting himself away from the world as much as he can while waiting for the Grim Reaper to knock on the door. Except that the knocks come from curious neighbours who cannot fathom why this young man is living as he does.

It's somewhat similar to Half Nelson where the protagonist is being numb to life, and couldn't care less if his neighbourhood's burning to the ground. Luke Wilson, often overshadowed by his more illustrious brother Owen, carries the weight of this film on his shoulders with nonchalant ease as the titular Henry Poole. He's mean to everyone, in a stage of denial and has this immense rage against the world, despite neighbours such as elderly and religious lady Esperanza (Adriana Barraza), single mother Dawn (Radha Mitchell) and daughter Millie (the cute Morgan Lily who had her 1 minute cut at fame with He's Just Not That Into You), and grocery store checkout girl Patience (Rachel Seiferth) trying their best to connect a little with him and bring him out of his shell.

The crux of the story here centers around the mysterious, well, coincidental appearance of a water stain on the wall of his house, and to Esperanza, it looks like the image of Christ. So begins the mad tussle for his sanity when he has to spurn all Esperanza and her friends' advances into his property to pay homage to their God. And to compound matters, miracles start to happen all around Henry on the people he knows, thus challenging his very core beliefs through doubt.

Religious allegory aside, the theme here is primarily of hope and not giving up. I still feel a Plan A type as mentioned in my first paragraph, an optimistic, fear none, gung-ho spirit to take the bull by the horns, would be the best way forward. Sitting around moping and wasting away isn't a solution. Something like attempting and completing your bucket list before you call it a day. is. It's also a reminder that one shouldn't be too proud to admit the need for help, and to seek it. After all, the old man up there helps those who help themselves, and we must be the one who knock, so that it can be answered. Watching this modestly pace film allows you ample time to ponder over what you would do, if you were in Henry's exact same situation.

Well rounded great acting by the ensemble cast makes this one man journey toward redemption pretty engaging to watch. And having an excellent soundtrack helps to, even though it's just to accompany slow-motion, drama-mam visuals usually with Henry in deep thought, wondering what to do next with the limited time granted to him. Some may not like the cop-out ending, but I felt that it served its purpose in fulfilling its thematic exploration and reminding one and all that nothing's ever hopeless, unless you allow it to.

My first reaction to this movie (which I had never heard of before viewing) was one of satisfaction; it wasn't a bad movie but neither an instant classic. I was pleasantly surprised. It was definitely better than average, the sort of movie you are glad you rented out on DVD on a quiet night in. Despite it's over all sad demeanour.

However, what I did not expect was the 'after thought' it left me with. Dealing with life, death and everything between, I started to ponder the movie on a different level. Unlike many other movies it was not forgotten and has some imagery that remains long after the movie has finished.

To me this movie, while somewhat invisible when compared to others, is a little under-rated and deserves a wider audience than the one it is destine for.

Saw this tonight at Sundance and was torn between two notions: Notion 1: This is a classic Sundance movie. Starring Luke Wilson (now tell me that doesn't just ooze Sundanceness! Dialogue driven. No special effects. Low budget.

Notion 2: This is a real departure for Sundance. Gee, it seems to be religious, albeit in a weird sort of way. There are all these undertones of faith and hope and the priest doesn't come across as an idiot. When was the last time you saw that at Sundance? And I guess I agree with both. Henry Poole (Luke Wilson) is depressed, and for good reason. So he buys a house to get away. But a perceived image of Christ in a stain on the side of his house soon attracts the attention of a neighbor, who quickly invades his life. And then there's his other neighbor, a cute little girl with an even cuter (and divorced) mom (Rhada Mitchell) and he can't seem to get any peace, although that's probably good for him.

This is a very deliberately-paced drama with an occasional laugh and more than a little tension. Wilson seems to enjoy his role, and the quiet, loner type fits well within his standard range. Mitchell (Melinda and Melinda, Mozart and the Whale) is wonderful and lovely, as always, and George Lopez takes a little role as a Catholic priest. But veteran Mexican actress Adriana Barraza steals the show as the deeply religious and well-intentioned neighbor, Esperanza (meaning "hope" in Spanish, which is only slightly more subtle than the grocery checkout girl whose name is Patience, or the Rhada Mitchell character named Dawn).

If you don't mind slow movies, Henry Poole will reward you with a story that celebrates simple virtues, and suggests that there is plenty of room in this world for kindness and charity and faith and hope. Not bad for Sundance.

Sundance Moment: This looks like the first thing screenwriter Albert Torres has done in movies, and he seemed thrilled to be at Sundance. And while Luke Wilson was very quiet, George Lopez was a clown. Lopez said he and Wilson became friends on the shoot and recently joined with Samuel L. Jackson to win a pro-am golf tournament.