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Henry Poole Is Here [DVD] [2008]

DVD ~ Luke Wilson

3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

RRP:	�19.99
Price:	�4.98 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

Actors: Luke Wilson, Radha Mitchell, Adriana Barraza, George Lopez, Cheryl Hines
Directors: Mark Pellington
Format: PAL
Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
Number of discs: 1
Classification: 12
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: 30 Mar 2009
Run Time: 95 minutes

Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

ASIN: B001PBD0G4
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 32,485 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Synopsis

Director Mark Pellington (THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES) wrings a miracle from a stucco wall in HENRY POOLE IS HERE, a kind, minimalist tale of finding faith where you least expect it. Henry Poole (Luke Wilson) is a dying man with a mission to spend his final days alone. He relocates to a sparse home in a rundown suburb and makes fast friends with a stash of vodka bottles, but the solitude just won't stick; every neighbour on the block wants to befriend the newly arrived curmudgeon. Most persistent is Esperanza (Adrianna Barrazza, BABEL), an energetic woman who comes to Henry's house to salve her own tragic connection to it, but stays when she sees a stain on the wall that appears to be the face of Jesus. Despite Henry's pleas (and angry missives) to the contrary, word of the miracle spreads, and the solitude-seeking Henry is soon under siege: Esperanza brings by her priest (played by George Lopez); recently divorced Dawn (Radha Mitchell) shows up with Millie, her silently emotive little girl (Morgan Lilly); and even a prying grocery store clerk makes a visit to the world's least likely shrine. With each passing pilgrim, the conversation about hope and the renewing properties of belief grows louder, until even Henry cannot resist being moved. He may not yet accept Jesus, but he just may begin to accept the message of love. What Pellington leaves ambiguous about the "miracle" of the stain he makes up for with a resounding celebration of the miracle of human connection and the uplifting power of compassion. All the characters in HENRY POOLE IS HERE have pasts that could lead them to drink themselves into an early grave, but in the end, they each mine their misery for deep stores of faith in humanity.

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3.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)

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1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Small miracles, 7 Jun 2009

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

Sometimes miracles don't have to be big or obvious to happen -- they can just be a nudge in the right direction.

That seems to be the message of "Henry Poole Is Here," a bittersweet little dramedy about a lonely, embittered man who refuses to believe in miracles, until the source of them starts to change his own life. While the semi-religious content isn't overwhelming, the story drags out too long with too many lingering shots of Luke Wilson looking sad.

Diagnosed with a rare, fatal disease, Henry Poole (Wilson) moves into a house in his old neighborhood, saying that he "won't be here long." But then his neighbor Esperanza (Adriana Barraza) sees a stain on his wall, and proclaims that it's the face of Christ. She even calls in her local priest (George Lopez), who is optimistically skeptical.

Henry is insistent that miracles "just don't happen in real life," especially since he's now dying. But after a recurring spot of blood keeps appearing on the wall, a child starts talking again and a girl suddenly sees clearly. And Henry starts to form a connection with the pretty divorcee next door (Radha Mitchell), before he gets a surprise of his own.

For a dramedy, "Henry Poole Is Here" isn't very amusing or comedic -- it's pretty earnest in its pro-inspiration message, and has quite a few poignant moments (such as Espereranza's reminiscences about her boyfriend). And through the entire story, we follow Henry's transformation from a lonely, sarcastic, embittered man into a guy who might actually be willing to trust that things can turn out right.

I'll admit it, I don't see any shape in the wall stain. But hey, the miraclecentric storyline thankfully doesn't slather on the religious content too thickly -- rather it's about the openness to believe, and the willingness to live life happily.

As pleasant as this is, the movie does have some flaws. The big one is that it moves verrrrrrryyy slooowwwwllly. About half the movie seems to be long lingering shots of Wilson sunbathing, sleeping, wandering around, running through canals, staring off into space, et cetera. It seems to have been filmed that way to fill up space in the rather shortish storyline.

Wilson is doing his best James Stewart here -- gravel-voiced, quiet, and yet able to conjure up deep-rooted bitterness and sadness (such as when Esperanza takes him on a tour of his old home). Mitchell is quite good as well, and Barraza does a lovely job with a complex, hopeful character who could have easily become a parody of the religious.

"Henry Poole is Here" is a little film with a big heart, but not much meat on its bones. Worth a look, but not quite enough to be memorable

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