Genres

Visitors Review

Kim Newman 2012-05-21 17:51:04

An offbeat comedy/drama elevated by another terrific Varmiga turn.

James Verniere 2012-05-21 08:09:46

Even as far as low-budget independent films about Buffalo, N.Y., toll booth operators go, "Henry's Crime" is an odd bird.

Pete Hammond 2012-05-20 12:50:12

Adult audiences looking for a smart, entertaining film should line up.

Rockwell_Fassbender 2012-05-19 23:30:13

Keanu Reeves: Good movie killer.

"Henry's Crime" presents itself as a comedic modern noir in the vein offilms like "The Ice Harvest" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang". It creates apretty solid tone, and all of the parts surrounding the core arecreated well. James Caan and Peter Stormare do fine work and the plotcould have been interesting enough, but it all falls apart when it getsto that core. I've never been as hard of a hater of Keanu Reeves asmost people seem to be, but here he completely destroys the film.If there had been an actor with some charisma like Robert Downey Jr. orColin Farrell sitting at the top of this film, it would have been anice little slice of modern noir. Instead we get Reeves, who couldn'tbe more wooden if he tried. At first I thought this was part of thecharacter, the guy just being an empty man who has no motivation. Butwhen he gets the idea to rob the bank the he was falsely imprisoned forrobbing already, the character talks about how he finally has a dreamin his life and something to look forward to. Hell, he even supposedlyfalls in love with Vera Farmiga's character, a semi-failed theateractress. Yet no matter what he is saying about how excited he is,Reeves couldn't seem more bored. I can't possibly understand how thedirector was making this film and saw the dailies and thought, "Okay,great job Keanu." It's impossible not see how bad and stale thisperformance is.In stark contrast with Reeves' disastrous work though, is Vera Farmiga,who once again shows that she is one of the finest actresses to gracethe screen. She is superb here, brimming with life from her very firstscene where she hits Reeves with her car, gets out and immediatelystarts shouting at him. The character is unique and unfortunately shehas to work opposite Reeves so the relationship is impossible to buyand has no chemistry, but Farmiga is on fire all the way through. Sheis completely full of life and charisma, whether she is cackling alaugh, breaking down in hysterics or snapping wildly at the theaterdirector. A great performance in an unfortunately ruined film.

2012-05-17 05:49:53

good script

I liked the way Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard was interwoven into the story, very clever and very rewarding. Keanu is perfect for the part of Henry. Caan has never been better. Solid four stars.

Kyle Smith 2012-05-16 14:37:47

Though the movie has some engagingly quirky moments, everything falls into place far too easily for much suspense to build, and the romance between the two leads seems as contrived as everything else.

Prairie Miller 2012-05-12 19:20:10

Chekhov does small town USA in this zany, simmering slo-mo character driven retro-crime caper that plays out as a detour to an incidental bank heist, on the way to a softball game. Caan and Keanu are a strangely intoxicating match made in Buffalo.

Bill Goodykoontz 2012-05-11 23:01:53

Go for Caan and Farmiga, and stay to be surprised by Reeves.

Tim Robey 2012-05-06 23:29:44

Witness a rare sighting, like an albatross over the Scottish highlands. It's Keanu Reeves, acting in The Cherry Orchard.

2012-05-06 08:41:25

Fun movie!

This review is from: Henry's Crime [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) I loved this movie. You can't place it into a genre because it covers comedie, romance, crime caper at once. The script was well written and Keanu's performance was perfect as the guy finally taking control of his life after others have always controlled it.

KineticSeoul 2012-05-06 13:26:30

If you did the time you might as well have done the crime

I will admit the main reason I decided to watch this movie was becauseKeanu Reeves is in it. Not that I find him to be a great actor oranything like that but I enjoyed a lot of the stuff he was in. I thoughthis actor never ages but in this you can tell the guy is getting oldnow. And although I never found Reeves to be a great actor he fit invery well for a role like this. "If you did the time you might as wellhave done the crime". Is one of the quote in this movie and that iswhat the character Henry(Keanu Reeves) goes by after getting out ofprison for a crime that he was unintentionally a part of. But hismotives are quite different than most criminals that tries to commit acrime. Yeah Keanu although entertaining to watch his presence in moviesis bashed upon for not being a great actor like I said before. But in arole like this he fits right in and is actually believable. As acharacter who is a quite, reserved person and is also a person thatlacks ambition but has a kind heart. I didn't find the chemistrybetween him and the actress Vera Farmiga all that great since theactress isn't likable at all. And just comes off loud and selfish in myopinion but who am I to judge when it comes to someone falling in love.I gotta say though the actress is really good and her acting was topnotch and believable, like as if she is like that in real life. OverallI didn't find this movie all that entertaining and found the chemistryto be lacking, but it's passable barely.6.5/10

Michael O'Sullivan 2012-05-05 20:42:53

A felony of a movie ... tedious and improbable...

2012-05-01 10:57:45

Henry's Crime

Enjoy Keanu Reeves movies; enjoyed this movie truly;left me wanting more(A sign of a good movie);so, if you like suspence, silly love affairs and crazy characters, watch it!

Dmitriy Badalian 2012-05-01 04:38:48

Tribute to Theater

Don't know why this movie hasn't been heavy marketed. Keanu Reevesplays Henry - normal good guy who lives his ordinary and pretty boringlife until he went to jail, thanks to his strange old friend. This isan intro which occasionally becomes Henry's pointbreak and Keanu Reevescan play it. Yes, it doesn't sound like a very fresh concept buthere're several points: 1) Keanu Reeves can play a very ordinaryperson, common and boring guy 2) Vera Farmiga is great as usual andplays better than she did in "Up in the Air", thanks to a greatscenario 3) This is a really great movie about theater and theatricalactors 4) This is a great movie if you haven't got a chance to readAnton Chekhov. Henry's Crime is twisted, funny and has a lot ofmelancholy in its soul. Really recommend to watch it, it's worth tospend time and money.

2012-04-28 15:18:44

Whoa, Lopakhin!

One assumes that Henry (Keanu Reeves) has some kind of inner life. He seems to be a likable, easy-going fellow; it's just that he's a bit...inscrutable. Maybe it's his job. Working the graveyard shift night after night at a N.Y. Thruway tollbooth would put anybody in semi-comatose state. Nothing fazes the agreeable yet impassive Henry, one way or the other-although he does display a slight twitch when, one morning at breakfast, his wife (Judy Greer) broaches the subject of the couple having a child. Suddenly, we get the impression that Henry would prefer to be anywhere else but there, at that moment, having that particular conversation. What's going on? Is this a troubled marriage? Does he love his wife? Is this cipher of a man internally harboring primal doubts about life itself? Or...is he suffering in silence from a sudden attack of gas? There's really no way of discerning.We never get a chance to find out exactly what Henry is contemplating, because that is precisely the moment that Fate intervenes. An old high school chum named Eddie Vibes (Fisher Stevens) unexpectedly shows up on his doorstep, with a drunken cohort in tow. Both men are dubiously outfitted for a game of baseball. Eddie wants to know if Henry can give them a ride to their "game". Nothing about this questionable early-morning scenario seems to raise any red flags for the ever-malleable Henry. Even Eddie's request to stop at the bank "on the way"-and to park the car out front and wait while his passengers go inside-fails to elicit the tiniest raised eyebrow from Henry. Needless to say, the heist goes awry, Henry's car stalls, his "friends" flee...and guess who ends up in stir?Although he owes them squat, Henry doesn't rat out the real culprits and takes the fall, while his demeanor remains unchanged. At this point, one might surmise that Henry is either some kind of transcendent Zen master...or a clueless moron (not unlike the protagonist of "Forrest Gump" or Chance the gardener in "Being There"). Ah, but our little wooden boy is about to meet his Geppetto. Max (James Caan) is a veteran con man. He's one of those oddball convicts who actually "likes" prison-which is why he has been sabotaging his own parole hearings and enabling himself to continue living on the state's dime. He becomes a mentor/father figure to Henry, who takes it to heart when Max advises him that he needs to find a Dream, and then pursue it. So what is Henry's resultant epiphany? Since he's already done the time, he might as well now do the crime. Classic heist caper tropes ensue, with a love interest tossed in for good measure(Vera Farmiga).There's a little déjà vu running through this film (the second effort from "44 Inch Chest" director Malcolm Venville). Sacha Gervasi and David White's script may have been "inspired" by some vintage heist flicks; specifically, Alexander Mackendrick's 1955 comedy "The Ladykillers", and Lloyd Bacon's "Larceny, Inc." from 1942 (essentially remade by Woody Allen as "Small Time Crooks"). I thought that James Caan was recycling his "Mr. Henry" persona from Wes Anderson's "Bottle Rocket" a wee bit. While the film has classic screwball tropes, it lacks the kinetic pace of Lubitsch or Sturges. That being said, I still found Venville's film to be quite engaging and entertaining-within its own unique universe (yes, even the somnambulant-as-usual Keanu). I was reminded of Vincent Gallo's criminally underappreciated "Buffalo '66"; in addition the fact that it also was filmed in and around the Buffalo area, it's another one of those low-key comedies with oddly endearing characters that "sneaks up" on you, especially once you realize how genuinely touching and sweet it really is at its core. And there's no crime in that, is there?

tim-greig 2012-04-28 00:33:49

Stunningly Dull

I keep waiting to see Keanu do somethings else other than dish outdull, monosyllabic utterances that are supposed to be taken as somesort of ground-breaking wisdom. He fails to rise up and grab anyopportunity for display of emotion even when goaded to by the play'sdirector (for example) and as a person who falls in love well, heleaves you speechless. The comedic elements such as they were remainedungrasped by Reeves and just slip on by. James Caan, of course isfantastic and gives a very creditable performance as an ex-con and ex-con man. What a role that would be for him as the lead actor!. VeraFarmiga is a delight once I got over the idiocy of her characterdriving and talking phone at the same time. The plot was prettydreadful really and it boggles me to think that someone actually spenttime coming up with such drivel. What was it about? A bank heist? Aplay? Falling in love? Jail time? None of it was given much depth.

2012-04-26 23:49:16

PLEASE WAIT FOR TICKET AND CHANGE

Keanu Reeves plays the meek Henry Torne, who works a toll booth in Buffalo. He is having some problems with his wife Debbie (Judy Greer, a young version of Susan Sarandon). He is conned into driving some guys to a baseball game, only as it turns out they rob a bank and Henry is the only one who gets caught. Henry meekly says nothing in his defense and gets sentenced to 3 years. During this time his wife leaves him for another man, which doesn't seem to bother Henry. In prison Henry meets Max Saltzman (James Caan), prison philosopher, barber, and story teller. Caan convinces Henry that if he did the time, he should do the crime. Henry gets out of jail and appears to have walked home. His wife is pregnant by Joe (Danny Hoch), one of the bank robbers. Joe tries to recruit Henry to sell in his pyramid scheme, er ah multi-level... Henry's belongings are packed into one small box. Henry doesn't seem to mind at all. Like a moth to a flame Henry is attracted to the bank...as he is walking in the middle of the street he gets hit by a female driver, who was paying no attention while chatting on her cell phone. Like any good Republican, she immediately gets out of the car and blames the victim. Henry finally realizes his life's goal: To rob the bank he didn't rob. He goes to Max for help. Max is a lifer. He wants to stay in prison and not get out. At his review board he twitches and says to the panel if he got out he is going to kill their dog. Henry wants Max to get out and help him. The theater, across from the bank, 80 years ago had a tunnel that went to the bank vault. Julie (Vera Farmiga), the woman who clocked Henry with her car is an actress, performing in "The Cherry Orchard" a play like the movie is both a comedy and tragedy. The metaphors pile up. His job as a toll booth operator symbolizes someone who goes nowhere while watching everyone go somewhere. Before this thing is through Reeves plays Lopakhin, who has come up from nothing and is looking for a change of life. The group of crooks blossoms from 2 to 5 and the play...let's just say it has an alternative ending. Chick flick, heavy metaphors, F-bomb, sex, no nudity.

timmywuh 2012-04-26 19:11:55

decent and offbeat keanu reeves romantic comedy

keanu Reeves stars in this charming indie about a lovable loser who issent to prison for a crime he didn't commit - he thought he was drivinghis friends to a baseball game but turns out they were robbing a bank -and subsequently decides that 'if he's done the time he might as welldo the crime' and sets out to rob said bank following his release aftera bunch of life lessons in the slammer with cellmate James Caan.In order to do this, Reeves has to get a role in the production ofChekov's 'The Cherry Blossom' next door to the bank (the plan is to digthrough a wall in the theatre into a pre-existing tunnel that connectsthe theatre and bank) as Lopahkin and he subsequently falls in lovewith his leading lady ,played by Vera Farmiga who was so good last yearopposite George Clooney in Up In The Air. As the play, the romance andthe robbery all progress, the three strands of the plot head to anenjoyably, albeit somewhat predictable, culmination on opening night.This is all fairly ridiculous stuff, and seems to take place in somekind of small town (re: Buffalo) bubble where the laws ofreality/common sense have been suspended: is it really this easy tosteal 12 million dollars? Is is really possible nobody wouldhear/notice the gang tunnelling through the walls? Is Chekov's TheCherry Blossom really a sell out play?However, if you can suspend your disbelief at the ridiculousness of thewhole thing, then the movie is an enjoyable and offbeat romanticcomedy, featuring great performances from Caan and Farmiga and perhapsonly spoiled slightly by Reeves' trademark wooden and unemotionaloffering which can be summed up in this picture of him that featuresthe facial expression he wears for pretty much the entirety of themovie:To begin with I thought that Reeves had been cast perfectly as themonosyllabic, emotionally detached loser Henry (possibly his bestcasting since the moronic Ted in the Bill and Ted movies) and there'san enjoyable scene where the director of the play (Peter Stormare) istrying to teach him how to act. You might think that - as Reevesproduced the movie too - he might be sending himself up with this sceneas Jean Claude Van Damme did in JCVD, but I doubt that Reeves has theintelligence or creativity to consider such a notion. However, otherthan the final scene, I felt that Reeves' attempts to act within themovie were pretty indifferent to his actual performance and claims fromother cast members that Henry was 'a natural' suitably laughable.I wasn't convinced either by his chirpsing of Farmiga - although he hadsome pretty sick chirpses (let's go get some ice cream; i'm planning onrobbing the bank) they were delivered with a lack of any charisma andit made me question how a cool, sassy woman like her would jump intobed so quickly with a loser like Henry. My friend told me it was justbecause he was so hot though. This kind of makes sense.The film is to be commended for focussing less on the robbery itselfand more upon the relationships of all the characters who populate it,which enables its quirky humour to be exploited to the maximum withseveral laugh out loud moments; my favourite of which was the beardthat Reeves is required to wear in his role as Lopahkin, although i'mnot sure if this was intentional:Overall Henry's Crime is an enjoyable caper and well worth watching.Although it could be argued that the real crime is Keanu Reeve'sacting, I found that his stiff attempt at a deadpan performance onlyadded to the quirkiness of the humour of the whole production, andprobably made me enjoy it even more.

Stephen Whitty 2012-04-26 06:25:48

Reeves seems more laid-back than loser - it's hard to accept him as someone who has let half of his adult life go to waste without minding, or even noticing.

raymond 2012-04-25 16:06:27

Worth Watching Stoned

Not too bad, low budget movie. Like a good tv movie. simple 90's style morals to the story type. good to watch with a women/ w/e.