I watched "Henry Fool" after hearing about the release of the movie's sequel, "Fay Grim." I was intrigued, but realized that I should probably watch the original film first. I really didn't know what to expect. I find indie movies can be a bit of a hodgepodge. I think I expected that the movie would be a bit dull.
Far from it. "Henry Fool" is one of the best movies I've seen in recent months. It's a really charming story about ordinary people thrown into extraordinary circumstances, with plenty of comedy and thoughtful drama along the way.
The story has to do with Simon Grim (James Urbaniak), a garbageman who lives at home with his depressed mother and somewhat promiscuous sister, Fay (Parker Posey). Into their life walks Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan), a mysterious writer with a past so checkered it could be used as a chess board. Henry brings with him a set of notebooks, which he claims are his "confessions," a set of memoirs he wants to publish one day.
At Henry's urging, Simon starts writing down thoughts in his own notebook, which eventually becomes a book-length poem. After Henry discovers Simon's work and finds it to be a masterpiece, the meek Simon starts gaining attention both locally and nationally, while events at home grow increasingly tumultuous.
A big part of what makes this movie so great is the title character. Henry is basically Simon's mentor, teaching him proper spelling and grammar, and inspiring him to write. However, unlike many movie mentors, who seem pretty much infallible, or on some kind of moral high ground, Henry is a deeply flawed individual. An alcoholic, womanizer and foul-mouthed literary snob, he's almost an anti-mentor. Yet, somehow, like the characters in the movie, we really like him. Possibly the sweetest moment in the film comes when Mr. Deng, the owner of the convenience store where Henry and Simon hang out, recognizes Henry's alcohol problem and refuses to sell him any more beer. He opts instead to give him espressos. This turns out not to be such a good idea, but really it's the thought that counts.
Every character in this movie, even the morally questionable ones, are all terribly likeable. Simon's awkward introversion and hidden intelligence, Fay's pride in her brother and even Henry's utter fallibility made the main characters feel kind of like old friends. Even the supporting characters, like Mr. Deng and his daughter, and the priest who wants to save Henry from himself were totally endearing. These were all people I enjoyed watching, and I'm sure I'd still enjoy watching them after a hundred viewings.