DVD Review: “Henry Poole is Here”
Rating: 74
“Henry Poole is Here” is as effective a meditation on faith as one is likely to get from a modern film. Having received catastrophic news, Henry (Luke Wilson) moves into a modest suburban home in Los Angeles, buys junk food and vodka by the case and prepares for the worst. Then Henry’s plans for isolation are thwarted by a stain on his exterior wall that brings pilgrims to his home and a challenge to his own certainty and cynicism.
Two of Henry’s new neighbors become key factors in his crawl back from the abyss: Esperanza (Adriana Barraza), a true believer in mourning who brings the faithful to witness the holy stain; and Dawn (Radha Mitchell), a divorcee with a young daughter (Morgan Lily) who hasn’t spoken since her father left. These names are not without meaning: Dawn is guiding him away from the darkness, and Esperanza is there for encouragement and hope.
Always an interesting director, Mark Pellington imbues “Henry Poole is Here” with the flair for shadow and subtlety he brought to thrillers such as “The Mothman Prophecies” and Pearl Jam’s classic “Jeremy” video. And the performances are first-rate, particularly the chemistry between Wilson and Mitchell, who is radiant as Henry’s earthbound angel. Best of all, the film is inspirational without announcing itself, meaning that “Henry Poole is Here” isn’t just preaching to the converted, and skeptics won’t feel slapped around.
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