Review of Henry Fool (1998) by Jamie M — 24 Feb 2008

This film fell just short of a 4-star rating for me. It's packed with all the essential ingredients of an enthralling literary piece as well as those of a passionately acted play. There's plenty of pathos, irony, and poetic justice, if you'll forgive the pun.

However, there were just too many bizarre and/or boring moments for me. The world Hal Hartley creates for us is not a very believable one, and perhaps this was his intention, but in my opinion, this direction choice was to the film's disadvantage.

I am, however, interested in seeing the sequel Fay Grimm, since Henry Fool leaves you with one of the most frustrating cliffhangers ever! By the way, there are at least two jaw-dropping scenes of hilarity that make the film worth viewing.