In less than a week, a new movie starring Keanu Reeves, James Cann and Vera Farmiga will be released to the world. The film is aptly titled Henry’s Crime because it focuses on a crime Henry (Reeves) plans on committing. Simple enough I’d say.
The film is about Henry, a reserved middle class man who works as a tollbooth operator. One morning a few guys come over asking Henry to play in a baseball game since one of their players got sick. Henry agrees to go and drive them but on the way, the men need to stop by the bank to get cash for beer. The men proceed to rob the bank and a cop catches the unsuspecting Henry sitting in the car. Henry doesn’t give up any names and ends up bunking with Max (Cann), an old “confidence artist” who enjoys living in prison and doesn’t want to leave.
After three or four years of rotting innocently in prison, Henry gets out and decides that if he “did the time, he might as well have done the crime.” As he starts to scout the bank he gets hit by a car driven by an actress named Julie (Farmiga), Henry’s new love interest. He becomes further involved with her when he tells her his scheme which involves the tunnel that connects the bank to the theater where she is currently rehearsing Anton Chekhov’s play, The Cherry Orchard. Completely fine with the idea that Henry is anticipating on robbing the bank, and Max being released from prison to help dig, the trio find themselves in the old romance vs. business pickle. The result is a lot of sex, happiness, depression and the formulation of the idea of just how harsh and unpredictable reality can be.
Surprisingly enough, I found myself enjoying this movie much more than I had anticipated. I am a big fan of heist movies and was easily hooked. The choice of Keanu as the lead is where I had my doubts but, for the most part, he actually nailed his role. I think the reason was because his character was just as average and robotic as his acting typically is. There were instances where he legitimately shined and others where he didn’t but I’m going to give him a passing grade as the dreamless guy who finally finds happiness in the most unlikely ways possible.
James Cann was solid and provided most of the quick and witty comic relief while Vera filled her role to the T as Henry’s sexy and cold love interest. They were, by far, two of the more interesting and animated characters so anytime they were in the scene you felt more comfortable with the film.
The movie is built around the robbery and the play that Julie, and eventually Henry, stars in. What makes it interesting is that the movie is actually like a modern day take of The Cherry Orchard. The way it is cut you can clearly see parallels between the drama that occurs in Chekov’s play and drama that unfolds amongst the different characters in the film-although there are a few adjustments that are made for our generation. Granted I have never read Chekov’s play, I’ll be curious to hear people’s thoughts on the film who have actually read.
This is director Malcolm Venville’s follow-up film to 44 Inch Chest, and I think it is a vast improvement. His English, star packed crime drama was extremely boring whereas this film creates an interesting emotional tie to its audience members, partly because I think a lot of people can relate to the characters in this film, although I’m sure few would actually admit it, and partly because we all secretly like Reeves more than we’ll admit it.
Henry’s Crime is surprisingly delightful in an odd, and sometimes awkward, sort of way although, I have a feeling I may be in the minority with this one.
Rating: A light, offbeat comedy with everyone bringing their A-game (6/10)
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