dansview
It seems like there's almost a rule that "indies" must depict sadness and despair. I guess it's considered "chic" in creative circles. This one takes that path, but redeems itself with a couple of sunny, hopeful characters, and a happy ending. There's only so many frames you can bear seeing some morose character experience their depression. This one goes overboard for a while, and manipulates you with a musical sequence. But don't despair.It's a sweet picture that won't gouge your innards with the graphic sex and violence that almost every other film uses. A few interesting details for those outside of California:The main character goes back to his blue collar, single story, simple ranch house-style hometown southeast of L.A. It's a remnant of a once working class white town in a region with many of that type. It was once covered with citrus orchards and palm trees. But now it is predominantly Hispanic, as are all the surrounding towns. The culture of lunchbox-carrying white people on the outskirts of L.A. is almost gone, with a complete reversal of population. Even the character has long since left. Ironically his next door neighbor is white, played by an Australian actress. What are the odds?But it also shows how wherever you go, and whatever you do, there are always stories developing. He meets a white girl working at a Latino market who takes a platonic interest in him, and encounters other characters he never asked to meet. Stuff happens, and stories are rolling at every exit off the highway.The religious theme is specifically Catholic-oriented. Which makes sense, since Latinos are Catholic, and even white working class people are often Catholic. Luke Wilson himself grew up Catholic. I don't think Protestants obsess over physical images of Jesus, which is a major plot device here.We are given zero information about this man's profession, or his specific health condition. What do his neighbor ladies do to pay the rent? Why is he single? Where did he live prior to returning to his hometown?Not so bad. If you need to be uplifted with a message of hope, and you can stand the boredom, give it a try. The real message is that faith itself heals.
Germain Grisez
Henry Poole Is Here is an unusual film. Someone characterized it as a "black comedy," but I think that description misses the mark. Instead, it represents the drama of modern unbelief and genuine religious faith. In the face of imminent death, Henry Poole's unbelief is entirely honest with itself, and so results in his despair and lonely alienation. His Hispanic neighbor's genuine faith and her and others' compassionate caring for Henry challenge his unbelief. Remarkably, this film presents a Catholic priest behaving just as he should, with prudence about what his parishioner thinks is a miraculous and appropriate and respectful pastoral concern for Henry Poole. In the end, faith and love win out, supported by a series of events such that at least one of them--the restoration of good vision to the check-out lady--could reasonably be regarded as a miracle. While many committed nonbelievers naturally are offended by that plot and its message, believers ought to be grateful to those who made this movie.
siderite
...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.
pepekwa
I only give a rating of 9 when after i see a movie, when it leaves me wanting more and gets me thinking about it long after it has ended. This is one of those films. What makes it special is the deft, subtle direction of mark pellington and great acting by the main leads. Luke Wilson is brilliant as the supposedly terminally ill man going "home" to live his last days in solitude and peace. His personality is constant throughout the shenanigans with the"face on the wall", unlike other movies where you can easily reach the conclusion that "he wouldn't do that or that couldn't happen", everything in this movie makes perfect sense. Reading some of the other reviews on here, i thought I was on an aethiest's forum! I didn't see this movie in this terms, it works on many levels simply because it reinforces the notion of the human spirit and that love does indeed conquer all. There are so many clever things here that make this superior to other films in the genre like the fact that even half way through you're not entirely sure if Henry is dying and the fact that although you really want his relationship with the equally impressive radha mitchell to get physical, it never really does. I'm going to watch this movie again soon and I'll reckon I'll pick up some more nuances and like it even more.
AD
