Henry Poole Is Here

Henry Poole (Luke Wilson) is dying. He abandons his old life and moves into a house in the street where he grew up. He eats only pizza and donuts, and drinks vodka. Lots and lots of vodka.

One day, his nosy neighbour Esperanza (Adriana Barraza) discovers a water stain on the side of Henry’s house which she claims has taken on the face of Jesus Christ. Henry is sceptical, but Esperanza brings around her friends, and people from the church, to see this so-called miracle.

I wasn’t too impressed with this movie, to tell you the truth. Luke Wilson is good, as is the rest of the cast. His subplot with Radha Mitchell as the cute single mum neighbour felt a bit forced at times. And throughout the whole movie, I couldn’t help but feel like the director was shoving a message down my throat.

We see various good things come out of people touching the supposed blessed wall, but this never really goes anywhere. And the tone of the movie is overly sentimental and melodramatic.

Maybe you have to be more spiritual than I am to really get touched by this story. Regardless, there’s no excuse for making a movie which, by the end, leaves you wondering exactly what the point was.