Review of Henry Poole Is Here (2008) by Trent H — 18 Aug 2008

Luke Wilson is always reliable to supply an unexpected versatility to his profile, and "Henry Poole" exemplifies this profoundly. He, along with the lovely Radha Mitchell and Adriana Barraza provide very strong performances in this small picture with big feeling.

Overall the movie isn't great; the story is not exactly the most compelling tale. It stays really simple and does not take many risks outside of the miracles that take place, and even those moments, while stretching reality, still play it a little safe.

However where the film falls short in plot, it very well makes up for it with the acting and emotional ties. This movie allows for a deep connection between the characters and the audience that really helps viewers get a strong feel for the characters, Poole in particular.

What I also really appreciated about the movie is that everything is encircled around Poole. There is hardly ever a scene where he is not in, or discussed. Where most films fail from this, for it does not allow supporting character development, it works extremely well for this film which the focal point is too important to not be included in every scene.

Again while there are many technical issues, and I feel I might have rated this movie a bit higher than it deserves, I feel this is one of the brighter pieces of work for this year and is a great accomplishment for Wilson and company.