Terminally ill Henry Poole (Luke Wilson) appears to be content to live out his remaining days alone and in a drunken stupor. But when something resembling the face of Jesus Christ materializes in the new stucco finish of his modest tract house, Henry finds himself suddenly overrun with nosy neighbors who see more than just a stain on the wall. Directed by Mark Pellington, who suffered from depression after his young wife died suddenly in 2004, Henry Poole Is Here features some grim moments, but on balance is a fairly lighthearted fantasy about life, death, and the miracle of faith. Wilson is perfectly cast as the dour young man (whose disease is never named) befuddled by the carryings-on of locals who turn his house into a shrine. Radha Mitchell contributes a restrained turn as a single mom who finds herself drawn to Henry, while George Lopez elicits some chuckles as a parish priest sucked into the controversy. Although this sounds like the premise for a cynical satire, Henry Poole Is Here tends to move in the other direction, serving up several moments that can only be described as sappy and corny. Still, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include an audio commentary with director Mark Pellington and writer Albert Torres, a 16-minute “making-of” featurette, the “All Roads Lead Home” music video by Golden State, the “Henry Poole Is Here” music video directed by Pellington and performed by myspace.com theme song contest winner Ron Irizarry, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a second audio commentary with Pellington and cinematographer Eric Schmidt, and deleted scenes with optional commentary. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an uneven film.] (E. Hulse)
Henry Poole Is Here
Anchor Bay, 100 min., PG, DVD: $29.99, <span class=SpellE>Blu</span>-ray: $39.99, Jan. 20 Volume 24, Issue 2
Henry Poole Is Here
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