Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

SnoopyStyle Simon Grim (James Urbaniak) is a shy awkward garbage worker. He lives with his loud bossy sister Fay (Parker Posey) and mother. He is befriended by frustrated writer Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan) who gives him a notebook. Simon gets beaten up. Henry sleeps with both Fay and their mother. While Henry's writing is rejected, Simon's writing becomes celebrated.James Urbaniak is a fine quiet weirdo and Parker Posey is hilariously loud. "Mom! Simon's got a broken rib..." She makes Hal Hartley's words sing. The weak point is Thomas Jay Ryan. Henry Fool is a crazy character. He needs to be played by a more charismatic actor with a wild energy. Ryan doesn't have a big enough screen presence. Also Hartley's quiet oddball manneristic style keeps the energy low. There are bit moments of utter genius writing but there are not enough to make the whole great.

midnightwishes 'Henry Fool' is a great film, and is also one of my favorites. I think that people should see it because it's great. I'll just give you people out there who haven't seen this movie a little written preview:First off we have this guy named Simon's side of the movie. He is a nerdy garbage man living with his sister and depressed mother. According to his mother and sister, he has never had a friend until one day out of the blue, a man named Henry Fool comes along. He inspires Simon to write, and he does. He writes a bunch of pornography that everyone says is sick and twisted. He tries to get his poem published, but sadly receives a bunch of letters from the publishers saying that they hate his poem. Poor Simon. Even though the publishers hate it, there are two people who like it. Henry Fool, and this one high school girl who asks him for his permission for his poem being in her high school paper. Henry, trying to be a good friend, asks Simon's sister Fay to type up a portion of Simon's poem on the internet. It's here where people find it, and it starts appearing on the news. After, he settles a deal with a publisher named Angus James. He then becomes a famous poet.Second, we have Henry Fool's side of the movie. He has a parole officer because he's been bad. He is known as a criminal, but he's not that dangerous. Well anyway, he supports Simon on his poetry while writing his own confession. Later, his criminal past does catch up to him after he kills someone and needs a plan to get out of the country.You should really see this movie. I've seen it ten times and I'm still not tired of it.

Benko_Reversed_Alekhine It has been quite a while since I've seen that film, yet it has stayed with me. This is one of the better examples of Hal Hartley's peculiar genius, and an example of why character development is so important. What Anton Chekhov was to literature, Hal Hartley has accomplished on film, even making some of the most detestable characters sympathetic on some level while not ignoring their glaring flaws. The ending, which I will leave to you to experience, was easily one of the most subtly and intelligently done I've ever seen, and mainstream Hollywood would do well to learn from this and others of his films.

fliphop I'm going to update this film review, being much older now. here 12 years later. Hartley should remake the film from the girl's point of view. you know. the 13 year old one that the guy has underage sex with (i.e. statutory rape). the one that doesn't even have a name in this film. its really really ***** up . i want to know about her life, not this guys life. in fact i don't know if i really like this movie as much as i once did. it is not exactly sympathetic to the guy... he is not the hero. but then again. i just ... i want to know how her life is, i don't care about his life. ***** him and ***** his life. -----------well, what is the point of this review. i reckon i will tell Hal Hartley and everyone else that worked on this movie was good for me to see.i mean i cried and cried and cried when the mom died, and other places. i know people like these characters. i am like these characters. when i see them up there, it gives me precious visions and dreams of myself and the people i know. these dreams and visions are among the most powerful and positive things in my life, i believe.the movie is about people, poverty, depression, mental illness, love, marriage, sex, babies, death, hate, violence, community, fear, anger, cowardice, forgiveness, art, and courage.i mean for chrissake the main title character is an adult out of prison for having sex with a 13 year old girl, which makes him a pedophile and a statutory rapist. the movie is about him and how he lives after that.compare it to other Hal Hartley: you got a weird fascination with porn, male heroes with extremely questionable, evil pasts, not sure how dangerous they are, anti-social hateful ranters who cant seem to fit into the whole 'job for money' thing, police in dual role, as destroyers and oppressors, but also as caring helpers, part of the community,incredibly odd off hand meetings with supposedly insignificant and unimportant people that in fact become the most important most significant most influential characters in each others livesoh yeah, and this movie has more to say about the internet than i have ever learned in my years of studying computer science.