Thomas Jay Ryan and Parker Posey in Hal Hartley's Henry Fool
Independent filmmaker Hal Hartley describes his latest film Henry Fool (opening June 25) as both a departure and an arrival because it explores many of his favorite themes but takes them in a new direction. These Days film critic Beth Accomando speaks with the director and has this review of Henry Fool.
Hal Hartley : "I'm interested in the particulars of to what extent we can know who somebody else is. What happens if the most dynamic and certainly most selfless man in town were also the most dangerous and perverted and unreliable. "
Ever since his ironically titled first film, The Unbelievable Truth, Hal Hartley has reveled in contradiction. In Henry Fool, he continues to explore lifes ironies by offering Thomas Jay Ryan as a wise man named Henry Fool. The film begins with Henrys arrival in a suburb of Queens where hes greeted by an introverted garbage man named Simon Grim. Henry's arrival typifies Hartley's style as simon comes out, looks around and then in a tight close up, kneels down and places his ear to the ground. As if on cue, Henry approaches from the distance and breaks the silence.
