Hal Harltley, my favorite overworking and under-recognized director, decided to make a sequel to Henry Fool called Fay Grim. This film contains some of my favorite Hartley themes: international conspiracy, the unpredictability of the human condition, and the senselessness of love. In a way, Fay Grim feels like a sequel to all of Hal's films - a sort of homage to his own favorite moments. He includes his sexy but hopeless french girl, his seemingly clueless (but we know better) american suburbanite, and his multi-agenda ridden guru, to name a few. Parker Posey, as always, gives a lovable performance that makes the viewer want to wrap her up in a blanket and take her home. The formula seems to be there, but in the process of attempting to create a breakthrough work, Hartley loses the awkward cadence that makes his movies great. Perhaps it's an improvement on his earlier works, but personally I prefer the uncomfortable silences and almost stale delivery of The Unbeleivable Truth and Amateur. The quirky feel of his earlier films gave me a feeling of inclusion, as though Hartley's movies were made just for me. While it is definitely entertaining, Fay Grim falls a bit short of the old Hartley magic.
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