Customer Reviews

Henry Poole Is Here (2-disc W/soundtrack Cd)

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4 star:		(1)
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Director Mark Pellington's "Henry Poole Is Here" is a gem, a low-key, wonderful tale of redemption (both spiritual and physical), miracles (don't worry, the film is not preachy!), and of characters you can actually care about. A first-rate cast (headed by the very effective Luke Wilson) gives a terrific ensemble performance, and this film is definitely a keeper!

The screenplay (by Albert Torres) is deceptively simple; a dying man (Wilson) returns to his old neighborhood to drink away his last days in solitude, but when a busybody neighbor (Adriana Barraza) interprets a stain on the stucco wall of his house as an image of Christ, he gets a lot of unwanted attention! Despite his complete skepticism, his neighbors come to observe the 'Miracle', and he gradually develops a bond with a young mother and daughter (Radha Mitchell and Morgan Lily), devastated by their abandonment by her husband. He stubbornly clings to his belief that all that is on his wall is a stain, even when blood appears on it, and the local priest (a very subdued George Lopez) tries to convince him otherwise. Then the miracles begin...

What really makes this film 'work' so well, is that it doesn't attempt to force-feed morality or religious dogma; it is a story about simple, sympathetic people, all suffering some degree of loss, who find comfort and healing through the people they come in contact with; the image serves as a catalyst, but it is the giving and sharing of love that really brings about miracles in these people's lives. This is the film's lesson, and it's told with humor and kindness, elements sadly lacking in most current films.

"Henry Poole Is Here", being a low-budget 'indie', didn't get a lot of attention when it was released, but it is a truly special film, that will warm your heart!

When I saw the previews at the theatre, I wanted to see this movie ... but I missed it. I rented it and wasn't sure what I thought afterward. However, it kept coming to my mind ... and I'm a fan of several in the cast. I decided to buy it and the CD because I enjoyed the music, too. This would be a good movie for a group to view together and discuss. I'd recommend it because it's thought provoking and it's very well done; it could have been kind of campy but it wasn't.

Henry Poole is here, is a fantastic heart felt film, made with love, and a lot of style. Simply from a film makers view point this movie is a masterpiece. The lighting, and photography are far above the average film. At points the action in the movie breaks down almost into a music video, and that is a good thing. This movie is in no way a comedy, yet does have comedic touches. The creators were looking for a modern day Jimmy Stewart, and in Luke Wilson I think they found one. The rest of the cast is truly great, each actor bringing a major amount of skill to their role. The movie is about going beyond the pain, and suffering that life presents, and finding hope when you don't believe there is any. There is a heightened sense of magic in this film, and it is on my list as one of my favorite movies of all time. So if you enjoy well made, intelligent, loving films don't miss this one. It sure doesn't hurt to have Luke Wilson in it. Radha Mitchell deserves a mention before I go. She was also outstanding in this movie. This two disc DVD is neat-o some of the music in the movie was very good. So getting an audio CD of the music, as a gift is funkadelic. As is often the case the music on the CD is by the bands featured in the movie, and not the actual Soundtrack Score. Which was excellent as well.