Henry Poole Is Here
Release Date:
August 15, 2008
Limited release
Movie of the Day for Wednesday, October 10, 2007
See other Movies of the Day
On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 119/196 |
Max Braden |
I wasn't impressed by the movie wbut the cinematography and soundtrack were good. |
Director Mark Pellington goes from directing aberrant thrillers like Arlington Road and The Mothman Prophecies to comedic dramas with Henry Poole Is Here,” starring Luke Wilson, Adriana Barraza, Radha Mitchell, George Lopez and Cheryl Hines. Said movie is scheduled to open in the spring of 2008.
Wilson plays a man with a terminal illness who’s been told he has six weeks to live. But instead of living life to the fullest and experiencing every thing he can before his time is up, he decides to seclude himself in the suburbs, away from his job, fiancée and overbearing mother and gorge himself on Twinkies, pizza and vodka. The plot is similar to the early-2006 Queen Latifah film, Last Holiday, which itself was a remake of a movie by the same name from 1950 that starred Alec Guinness.
Unlike the main character in both versions of Last Holiday, the protagonist in “Henry Poole” just wants to go quietly and die alone. But an unexpected miracle and confrontation with two whacky neighbors disrupt his plans.
The movie’s cast is moderately well-known, but they’re not exactly box office draws. And the plot, while safely familiar, doesn’t seem to offer an original enough premise to give people the incentive to see it in theaters. Still, what may keep the movie’s head above water is Pellington’s knack for putting spins on genre pictures. His previous efforts weren’t huge moneymakers, but they were at least interesting to watch. Henry Poole Is Here doesn’t scream blockbuster, but if the film sets out to intrigue us with new approaches to a conventional story, becoming a modest hit isn’t out of the question. (Matthew Huntley/BOP)
|
|
|
|
Tweet
