Entertainment, Movies - Navy Times

Film Review: ‘Henry Poole is Here,’ 3½ stars

Luke Wilson plays the title character in “Henry Poole Is Here,” who is struggling with some big issues. He is terminally glum, spending his days and nights alone. A typical meal consists of Krispy Kreme donuts and a bottle of champagne.

Henry buys a house in a lower middle-class neighborhood. It needs work, but he does nothing to fix it up. A real estate agent even offers to negotiate the price down, but he refuses. He just wants to quickly move in and be left alone, announcing that he only plans to be there for a short while. OK, big foreshadowing there.

After a quick stucco job, there is a cloudy stain on the side of the house. It is first noticed by an ultra-Catholic neighbor named Esperanza (Adriana Barraza of “Babel”), who insists she sees the image of Jesus in the stain. She points it out to Henry, even noting “the holy shoulder,” which brings out the cynic in Henry.

Esperanza soon brings over the neighborhood priest (comic George Lopez) and is leaving candles and prayer cards beneath the image. A spot of red appears on the stain — is it blood or is it paint? Henry goes for the latter.

Word about the discoloration spreads. Lovely next-door neighbor Dawn (Radha Mitchell of “Silent Hill”) has a young daughter who hasn’t spoken in more than a year. After touching the wall, the girl begins to speak. Later, a supermarket clerk with thick glasses visits the stain, and she suddenly gets 20/20 vision.

The quietly compelling movie deals with themes about religion and the power of belief, but it’s done in an accessible fashion. This isn’t a Tyler Perry film, in which the action comes to a halt to deal with issues of faith. Instead, it is handled organically, though a tad more subtlety wouldn’t hurt. With characters named Dawn, Patience and Esperanza (Spanish for “hope”), it’s not hard to see which way the story is heading.

Director Mark Pellington is best known for such taut thrillers as “Arlington Road” and “The Mothman Prophecies,” so his work here is quite surprising. He brings a gently nuanced tone to the film, and the neighborhood setting seems quite real.

He also draws out some rich performances from the cast. Barraza manages to keep her character from becoming a caricature, although one wishes her first scene didn’t involve her delivering tamales to Henry. Mitchell is understated and believable, and Wilson suggests that Henry is struggling with something beyond his understanding and control. His performance needs to anchor the film, and he succeeds wonderfully.

Despite the movie’s obvious religious overtones, it never seems overly preachy. In fact, Henry’s skeptical nature keeps things fairly grounded. When a group of believers comes to admire the stain and ask for miracles, one chubby man waits in line. “Is it true the guy just wants to be a better dancer?” Henry cracks.

A snarky film filled with messages about faith? You better believe it.

Rated: PG for thematic elements and some language.