Friday, August 15, 2008

Can't a man drink himself to death in lonely isolation anymore? Apparently not, if you're Henry Poole and you move into a neighborhood filled with mystical busybodies and trespassing do-gooders.

That's the almost promising start to "Henry Poole Is Here," a not-quite-funny comedy that devolves into a tedious discussion of miracles and redemption. Starring Luke Wilson as the title character, the film might have cleaved to its opening gambit and followed the course of an irascible drunk coaxed on the wagon by wacky neighbors. But alas, the film tries to do more and does it badly.

Only minutes after Henry moves in, we're confirmed in the obvious: He is in the last throes of a fatal disease.

First among the do-gooders is Esperanza, who is convinced that an apparition of Jesus has appeared on Henry's house, and she gets the Catholic church involved (George Lopez plays a priest, badly) and invites her neighbors for backyard devotionals.

One by one, the neighbors and other intruders are convinced, including Patience, the shop clerk who quotes not-particularly germane Noam Chomsky at poor doubting Henry.

That is irrefutable evidence that there was, once upon a time, an intent to make a movie that at least makes a pretense at pretension. You can't watch "Henry Poole Is Here" without suspecting that some minority of the creative team held out for "quirky, funny, smart" while the majority steamrolled forward with "irascible drunk with wacky neighbors." Neither side won, and nobody stepped in to erase signs of the stalemate, which results in very odd shifts of tone.

Esperanza, played by Adriana Barraza in the film's only convincing performance, needs her miracle, and she will have it. The film takes a few surprise turns on this cruel journey.

But a few smart turns in a forest of stupid doesn't make a film smart.

-- Philip Kennicott

Henry Poole Is Here PG, 100 minutes Contains adult themes and strong language. Area theaters.