Reviews (39)

In case you missed this movie...
This isn't one of Harrison Ford's bigger hits, but it should be, at least within the dramatic genre. Sure, he's Indiana Jones, and he's Han Solo, but outside of those series, Ford's movie choices have occasionally left this fan, at least, scratching her head (Sabrina? What were you thinking!?).

"Regarding Henry" is a rare little gem of a story, a simple film about a man whose life changes, believe it or not, for the better when he's shot and nearly killed by dint of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ford's Henry Turner takes us through a life he doesn't remember, including a daughter and a wife played by an impossibly young and fresh-faced Annette Bening.

Sure, it's a little sentimental. But it's a pretty simple story with a positive feel. Filmed on location in New York City, the Manhattan scenery is rather delightful as well.

It's not film noir, it's not a tour de force of characterization, and no, it's not Academy Award winning screenwriting. But it is a thoroughly enjoyable movie, one Ford doesn't have any reason to be ashamed of.

Sometimes the worst curse is your truest blessing
Despite being less well known, "Regarding Henry" is one of Harrison Ford's best works. The film demands a wide spectrum from this great actor and he delivers convincingly. For the most part, the other performers take their cue from Ford's "Henry" and render a near perfect glimpse of a life that could have been.

The tile character, Henry Turner, is introduced to us as a top-flight litigator for a large New York legal firm. He is well groomed, dressed in a designer suit and he is seen speaking sincerely to a jury about human desires and justice. Our opinion of him changes as soon as Henry leaves the court. He quickly makes a call to his interior designer to berate her for having the wrong table delivered to his palatial home. He is just another lawyer, after all.

It is hard to watch this movie at the start. Henry is one of those men we all love to hate. He is selfish, self centered, successful and confident. His daughter is frightened of him and his wife is a pale reflection of him. Luckily we are not forced to watch this Henry for very long. He makes the classic movie exit and "goes out for some cigarettes."

What follows is a scene that is perfectly directed. Henry walks into a corner store demanding his brand of cigarettes, unaware that the other patron is robbing the owner. Henry does not become scared but before he can even attempt to control the situation, he is lying on the sidewalk with two bullets inside his body and the wail of approaching sirens in the background. This event is the cusp of Henry's life.

Annette Bening plays Henry's Wife, Sarah. She may not be in love with her husband anymore but she needs him. As her financial position becomes clear, she realizes she needs him very much. But she is not unaffected by it all. This is the man in her life, the father of her child, a good provider and protector. Seeing him lying motionless in a hospital bed, drooling and staring vacantly, is probably the most painful thing she has ever experienced. But there is some hope of recovery.

Henry's long rejuvenation at a specialty medical center is like a rebirth. He remembers nothing, coming into his new world without the power of speech or the ability to walk. His midwife/physiotherapist, Bradley, is wonderful. He is full of life, energy and enthusiasm. As Henry is taught to walk and speak and function, Bradely becomes the mainstay of his life. Sarah keeps her distance and Henry doesn't get to see his daughter, (Rachel), at all until the day he is deemed fit to go home, a scary separation from the only people he trusts.

But the Henry that returns to a home he barely remembers, is not the same man that left for cigarettes. He is a little shy, very calm, forgiving, gentle and above all, nice. His transformation is interpreted in different ways by different groups. The movie serves as an interesting depiction of how society views disabilities. His boss is patronizing, his daughter delighted, his mistress is distraught and for the longest time, Sarah doesn't know what to feel.

The ending may be predictable but in this case, it is the journey that we love. Most of us feel we have lost our innocence and that our honor has been a little tarnished by life's decisions. Henry takes us on a trip to see what might happen if we surrendered all the hard won prizes in our life and instead, chose to embrace life itself. This is a film that will make you feel. Some days, that's just what we need.

RITZ!
a great movie. even if you dont like drama i think you will like this one. its about harrison ford gets shot in the head and has to go to rehad to learn how to speak and work again so he can go home to his wife and kid. its not is most knowen movie but still a great one

Worth Seeing
I know this movie was not a big hit when it came out but it is really a good film. Harrison Ford is great as one of his most likeable characters that I have seen him portray. Henry, a corrupt lawyer who withholds evidence when his client is obviously guilty and a womanizer is seriously injured in a robbery. When he comes to, he has lost his memory and has to be re-taught just about everything. His teacher is a very virtuous man, who teaches Henry to enjoy the good things in life (Henry loves most of all Ritz crackers). Thus the mean, cheating Henry who forced his daughter to remain at a boarding school that she hates, is suddenly transformed into a kind man who cares about everybody's feelings.

Eventually, he figures out that the Henry he once was was a horrible person and he hopes never to go back to that life.

Annette Benning is great and beautiful as the wife that had an uncaring husband who all of a sudden loves her more than anything. She has to decide if she is ready to leave the life they led with other uncaring and obnoxious friends.

Priceless scenes, especially those involving Henry and his secretary!

AT LEAST THE FILM'S HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE..
A hotshot, hyper-workaholic lawyer finds himself in the middle of an accidental shootout, loses his memory, and lo and behold, his world goes topsy turvy. Quite predictably, as is the case with pretty much every scene in this feel-good Oscar bait, the man turns over a new leaf, becomes a good father, a conscientious husband and a decent human being. Yawn.

The movie's slowly unfurling narrative and its high predictability levels could have made it a skippable fare, but Ford's rendition of amnesia is moving, and Annette Bening's performance is very impressive. An occasional saving grace is also the music, if you have an ear for that kind of stuff.

Recommended rental. ... Read more

Description

What do you do if your father, a former all-star shortstop and mad bomber anarchist, breaks out of jail? Go after him, of course! Two brothers trek through the deep, dark wilds of Long Island, only to discover that sometimes even the oddest things really are just what they seem. Directed by independent film favorite Hal Hartley (The UnbelievableTruth, Amateur, Trust) Starring Robert John Burke (Tombstone, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), Bill Sage (American Psycho, Boiler Room), Karen Sillas (The Sopranos, CSI Miami), Elina Lowensohn (Schindler's List, Nadja), and Martin Donovan (Insomnia, The Opposite of Sex). ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Should be on a Top-100 List to see
Perfect in it's balance of unnatural dialog and incredible insight into life and relationships, this is a fabulous movie. As surreal and funny as Raising Arizona, Simple Men's subtle humor isn't quite as redundantly over-the-top. If you appreciate dry wit and intelligent rapport, you are in the right vicinity.

Although I love his films, Hartley isn't for everyone. The obscure dialog and sparse camera work is tailored for artistic sensibilities.

Why isn't this film maker famous?
As a film fan with a brand new DVD player, my first priority in begining my movie library was to obtain a copy of 'Simple Men', and another Hal Hartley film, 'The Unbelievable Truth'. I have been unable to track down the latter, but was happy to find more Hartley films available. I believe fans of 'Repo Man' and 'Clerks' would be very pleased with 'Simple Men'. I just hope Hartley's great films make onto the more durable DVD format. Hartley fans need to unite!

poor effort
This is one of Hartley's lesser efforts.
He recycles characters and mannerisms to
the point of tedium. It's too bad
considering his many other fine films.

Amazing
A few years ago I was looking for some movie in TV when in wrong move I put one of this channels you never watch cos the quality of the image is bad and the movies are in my spoken languaje (spanish, I prefer with subtitles). I don't remember what scene but I remember the face of Robert John Burke from Robocop III, talking some very clever dialogues. After just a few minutes I couldn't change the channel till the movie ends leaving me absolutely impress.
Just a few weeks later by the same reason I catch "Trust" and from this same moment I became fan of Hal Hartley.
Why?
Because after years watching more than one hundred different movies of any style and director, Simple men and the rest of the Hartley's work show me another vision of life and another way to make movies, thinking more in a good and very deep script with a few good actors than a good budget with great special effects.
It reminds me the movies of Terrence Malick, because in the chaos of the existence both directors show the path of the real survivors, not those guys who are born to be heroes, just those one only wanna some moment of peace and true love, that's it's more than all the glory of the universe.

Simple Men on DVD
For all you Hal Hartley fans who have desired having a copy of Simple Men on DVD, your time has come. Simple Men will be released on DVD widescreen format January 27, 2004. I can't wait to get my copy!!! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Ever Been A Human?
I laughed, I cried, I thought it was and is brilliant. Oh yeah, I fell in love with Martin Donovan. Hal Hartley saw inside my brain with this film. Jude (Donovan as college professor) falls for Sophie (his student), Jude (upset with himself and his life) is irritated with pal Henry for getting kicked out of college and getting "..a job in a bookstore".

Literary references, lust, cool music, spontaneous dancing, woeful action, marriage proposals, reality from the mouth of a homeless woman in red rubber boots... you recognize the characters as more than people like people you once met or now know, you discover yourself. So get it already!

Simply awesome!
The first I watched this film, it created a sensation that could not be matched with other films; Martin Donovan is terrific! Blending a deadpan stylistic along with a creative script, this film is a must!

Poetry Disguised as Film
Poets with an appreciation for life above the poverty line wisely select more frequented media like music, movies, or monology as their vehicle. The life of the most celebrated poets are still awash in Ramen and rent. Hartley's films are dense with pause-rewind-replay a line dialogue almost to a fault. I used to take myself as seriously as Hartley's roster of misfits sporting designer melancholy personas and crippled by philosphical dilemmas that serve as a nappy gnarled dreadlock for the movie to comb out. I loved Hartley's fims in my 20s. Now 39 I revisit with some wincing but not enough for me to change my mind that this and his other films are filled with true human wisdom and many revelations put into words for any willingly troubled liver of a non-illusion buffered life to intend to jot down but not find a pen within reach.

Typical brilliant Hal Hartley
"Survivng Desire", along with the three shorts are some of Hartley's earliest work. But even at this early stage, Harley's gifts are clearly visable. I first saw the shorts some years ago as part of the PBS series "Alive from Off Center" and was mesmerized. Hal Hartley is one of America's truly great directors and his ability to pull such engaging performances out of his cast is a complete pleasure to watch. His style of film making probably most closesly resembles that of Robert Bresson, in its setup and excecution. But Hartley's point of view is totally original and for that, every one of his films has been a completely rewarding experience...

it's all here...
It IS all here.
The be-all end-all "relationship" that we are all programmed and taught and "gened" for in a nutshell.
This film shows the "relationship" as it shuns gravity, takes orbit and then spins off into space.
It is just desire that brings us together after all.
Lust, trust, anger, forgiveness, revenge, and the life after it all (the REAL gravity); this piece of art knows its subjects.
you really have to see this to know you've lived it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Another Long Lost Gem on DVD
Shriek Show Video has come up with a real rare flick this time. It is Barry Mahon's long lost gem "Blood Of The Zombie" aka "The Dead One."
A very interesting story about a woman who brings back to life a rotting zombie to do her bidding. The print quality is very good and the color is vibrant in spots. It also co-stars Linda Ormand, wife of filmmaker Ron Ormond who gave the world such treats as Mesa Of Lost Women and Monster & The Stripper. Nice DVD release and I hope Shriek Show finds more rare gems like this. Highly Recommended for horror fans!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

James Woods gives one of his finest performances in this flawed but fascinating film about imprisoned serial killer Carl Panzram, who was hanged in 1930 after he beat a prison worker to death--the last of a reported 21 killings. The film centers on the tentative trust and friendship between Panzram and prison guard Henry Lesser (Robert Sean Leonard), whose attempt to understand Panzram's violent life leads him to believe that Panzram could redeem himself from a life of crime. Told primarily in flashbacks, Panzram's story unfolds as Lesser reflects upon its significance. In reality Panzram's life was a constant succession of unspeakable acts and violent crimes; for the purposes of the film, writer-director Tim Metcalfe attempts to humanize Panzram's story, leaving the viewer to decide if Panzram was deservedly executed, or the victim of his own miserable past. The film's ambivalence--and its tendency to leave crucial questions unanswered--lessens its impact as a biographical drama, but Woods and Leonard work superbly together, and Metcalfe's script paints a vivid portrait of the criminal mind. The DVD includes a full-length director's commentary that fills in some of the factual details that the film leaves out. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A good Oliver Stone movie
Based upon a true story by Thomas E. Gaddis and James O. Long, this film stars James Woods (Citizen Cohn, Ghosts of Mississippi) as Carl Panzram, a convict who admits to multiple murders. The film opens with a narration by Henry Lesser (Harold Gould, best known as a television actor on shows including Rhoda and The Golden Girls), recounting the Panzram's story. We then see the young Lesser (is that lesser Lesser?), played by Robert Sean Leonard (Swing Kids), about to start his new job as a prison guard at Leavenworth -- it is the late 1920's. Panzram has been incarcerated at Leavenworth for burglary. He is a wise-ass and the more he mouths off the more the guards beat on him, and the more they beat on him the more he mouths off, and the more he...well, you get the picture.

After one particularly brutal beating that leaves Panzram's face a bloody pulp, Lesser -- the guard with a heart -- encounters him and takes an interest in him. He wants to know more about him -- what has brought him here, why is he being beat upon by the other guards, etc. Lesser even breaks the rules and gives him a dollar, enough to buy him a hefty supply of cigarettes and candy bars. Panzram tells Lesser that he is in fact a brutal killer, and wants to document his life and turn it over to him. Problem is that pencils and paper are also forbidden. Fear not, for Mr. Lesser comes through again, after some initial trepidation.

What Lesser reads is horrifying. Panzram admits to killing 21 men, which we see flashed in kind of a newsreel fashion. He recounts a time when he was incarcerated under a Warden Charles Casey (Steve Forrest) who tried to rehabilitate him and the system. He allowed him to go on unsupervised furloughs, so long as he returned that night, which he always does. It blows up when he rapes a woman (Ellen Greene, Little Shop Of Horrors) he befriends from the local library and Casey is fired.

Finally Panzram tires of the beatings being inflicted upon him by the guards and kills one of them in a disturbingly violent scene. Panzram is sentenced to death for his crime, as is his wish.

The film is a study of the curious (to me anyway) relationship between a kind-hearted, religious prison guard and a brutal monster of an inmate. What drew Lesser to this man? Granted he is a highly intelligent individual, but he displays little redeeming qualities. His kindness to Lesser consists merely of not filling him.

In the movie it only says Panzram killed 21 men, but gives no other details of his crimes. By doing a little searching, I was able to find a more specific account as follows:

His criminal career started early enough -- he was eight when first convicted (drunk & disorderly conduct). Three years later, a string of burglaries landed him in reform school. During his stint there, he torched a building. He would leave the institution at age thirteen, filled with the knowledge that last him a lifetime -- "how to steal, lie, hate, burn and kill". Paroled into the gentle arms of his mother, he promptly ran away to pursue a hobo's life. In a boxcar, he was gang-raped by four "burly bums", who taught him another valuable lesson -- "force and might make right".

Following a stint in the army (which culminated in a court-martial and three years at Leavenworth) he embarked on a career of spectacular brutality. Traveling around the globe -- South America, Europe, Africa and back to the US -- he left a wake of corpses. With proceeds from a heist, he bought a ship and lured ten sailors aboard with the promise of free bootleg liquor. After the seamen drank themselves into a stupor, Panzram raped them, shot each one in the head and dumped them in the briny blue. Later, in West Africa, he hired eight native guides to help him hunt crocodiles. Once again, he raped and murdered them all -- then fed their bodies to the crocs for sport.

James Woods is fantastic as the brutal Carl Panzram. Anyone who has seen him in The Onion Field or Citizen Cohn knows this guy can act with the best, particularly is the "bad guy" role (I also hear he's wonderful in Ghosts Of Mississippi). He displays both the intelligence and the brutality of his character. His performance alone is worth your $3.25.

Panzram pens his journal with the idea of showing how his life of crime and murder is a result of society. He is a product of the system -- of the people he has encountered and the prisons he is incarcerated in. Able to take it no more, he lobbies for his own execution. So the "purpose" of the film seems to be an effort to back the "environmental" theory of criminality as well as a call for prison reform.

It should also be noted that the movie was filmed in Connecticut and Rhode Island and produced by Oliver Stone.

Until next time, the Cheese reminds you, "that ain't butter!"

Not Completely Convincing, But Still Well-Done.
"Killer: A Journal Of Murder" is not as deep as itpretends to be. It doesn't really dwelve into the mind of a killerlike other movies. But it's still pretty interesting and the viewer never really wants to stop watching it. The heart of the film is intriguing: A young gaurd is fascinated by the perverse and dark life of the most dangerous man in the prison. The screenplay is vicious and gritty (even a nice librarian gets raped) and the characters though not perfect, are still well-written to a certain extent. I wasn't riveted, but I was interested and it did make me think for a while. This is more about the lure of evil and it's mechanics and maybe even redemption. Not a masterpiece, but still a good film.

James Woods deserves Oscar
I for one fail to understand why James Woods did not get an Oscar for this fine performance except possibly for the fact that this movie is too powerful for most stomachs. As someone who works in the Juvenile prison system, and as a Jew, a relate so strongly to the feelings of helpless outrage felt by the guard. I feel this movie should be required in all temples, synagogues, criminal justice programs, social work programs, psychology programs and recommend it for anyone who wants to see the depths and heights and realites of living in this world. It is so finely tuned, I fail to see the flaw referred to to in the review.

Woods is convincing, but the film seemed simplistic.
I just watched Killer-A Journal of Murder. Two things appealed to me enough to watch the movie: James Woods was in it, and it appeared to have a story similar to Murder in the First, a film with Christian Slater.

I was not disappointed with Woods' performance; he is one of my favourite actors, because he makes you forget he is an actor playing a role. Although he seems to mostly play bad guys or men with psychological problems, he has not yet let me down in my anticipation of his performances.

However, this movie left a lot to be desired. It presented the main character as a seemingly unjustly persecuted man, who had been let down by the system. Portraying his friend Henry Lesser as a grandfatherly type early in the picture tried to appeal for sympathy for the friend of a man, whom I later found out on the net was a brutal killer and all-around bad dude.

As I mentioned before, Murder in the First (with Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon and Gary Oldman) is a similar tale, although I much preferred that movie over this one. ... Read more