reviewed by: Rissi C.

      

Just when some people give up on life, life hands them a miracle, but some people don’t believe in such a thing as miracles and aren’t able to “see” them even when faced with it. Henry Poole (Luke Wilson) is one of those people. He has essentially “given up” on life and with that mentality, leaves everything in his former life behind and moves to a small California valley where he soon learns he may not get the peace and quiet he so craves.

Not long after his arrival, Henry is welcomed by his neighbor Esperanza, and it doesn’t take long to learn she is the local ”walking, talking newspaper." Nothing makes it past her notice.  While trying to be civil to his neighbors, Henry discovers that the little girl next door sneaks around taping private conversations for some unfathomable reason, and Patience, the check-out girl at the local supermarket, constantly is attempting to discover why he is “sad and angry.” The neighbors aren’t quite sure what to think of Henry, considering he doesn’t care how his house looks and insists he “won’t be here long.” When Esperanza spots a stain left by a stucco job and insists it is the face of Jesus, Henry has had just about all he can take.

Esperanza however, is stubborn and refuses to believe the denial of her priest and Henry, so she continues to bring other people who feel blessed by the face. When miracles began occurring, will it bring healing to Henry’s broken life or is he beyond a miracle? To be perfectly honest, my introduction to this film was a trailer before something I saw in theaters last year and it had me mildly curious, but my first impression was also that it looked odd, so I didn’t much give it another thought. Not long after that a conservative radio host recommended it to his viewers and it then got my attention.

An initial reaction to Henry Poole is Here probably won’t be all that positive, mainly because it is different. There’s nothing thrilling about it nor is there anything in the film to keep you super interested. But it is unique and surprisingly, does not mock religion. The religious aspect is not overly prevalent and the "miracles" are more believable than not (although the second did have me questioning a bit). The main thrust of the film wasn’t the question that the face really was God, but rather that even though we do not live in Christ’s time, miracles still can happen. God still has the power to perform them, even though he does not physically live among us. And because of that, the "face on the wall" did not offend my family -- nothing drastic happens, such as someone being able to walk again or walking on water. After the face is discovered it is suggested that the blood found is real.

Content is mild, but because of the thematic elements, this is probably best viewed by an older audience. Comments are made that suggest Henry’s parents were not the most upstanding people; on several occasions Henry buys alcohol at the store and drowns in his troubles. Language is present throughout, using sh**, da** (sometimes in association with the Lord’s name). A girl won’t talk after being abandoned by her father whom she adored and a building falls on someone, injuring them. Dawn (Radha Mitchell), Henry’s neighbor wears low-cut dresses and tops. The casting was good with each of the characters, but surprisingly none shone brighter than Morgan Lily. Even at her young age, she shows amazing talent. This will not appeal to everyone, I certainly had my own questions about it, but it really has become a favorite. It is slow-moving but impacting. For the patient viewer, I believe you will find this an enlightening way to spend the evening. A story one of healing and -- for certain characters -- a re-awakening in the belief that miracles can happen if you only would believe.