Rating: 
Summary: One more further step in the decline of a great film-maker.
Review: "Henry Fool" is, judged by the inevitable standard set by Hartley's impeccable first four films ("The Unbelievable Truth", "Trust", "Surviving Desire", and "Simple Men"), an ineffable abomination. For those of us genuinely exalted by his work prior to "Amateur," Hartley's once uniquely promising creative trajectory seems to have dipped headlong into a sort of decadence.
Rating: 
Summary: Yo La Tengo did not do the soundtrack this time...
Review: ...but Hal did it himself and it was just as good. possibly the best dialogue in a movie ever. my favorite of Hartley'sIf Kubrick would have done it, than it would have been up with Dr. Strangelove and The Killing. thanks Hal and the gang
Rating:
Summary: "Henry Fool" is a tale almost too human.
Review: Although I found many of Hal Hartley's earlier movies to be viewer-unfriendly and too wannabe avant-garde to be watchable, "Henry Fool" has finally borne the fruit at which Hartley's earlier films hinted. What sets this film apart is its unconventional lighting, terse dialog, and quiet spaces which made other reviewers bored, but gave me time to think about what was going on. It is uplifting while showing life's true grit without glorifying human error into fantasy -- which Hollywood does so often. Hartley's characters speak from the gut and aren't prone to dramatic flair; they just breathe and act. The only significant flaw in my opinion in "Henry Fool", is that it wasn't three or four hours long -- I couldn't get enough.
Rating:
Summary: "Henry Fool" is a tale almost too human.
Review: Although I found many of Hal Hartley's earlier movies to be viewer-unfriendly and too wannabe avant-garde to be watchable, "Henry Fool" has finally borne the fruit at which Hartley's earlier films hinted. What sets this film apart is its unconventional lighting, terse dialog, and quiet spaces which made other reviewers bored, but gave me time to think about what was going on. It is uplifting while showing life's true grit without glorifying human error into fantasy -- which Hollywood does so often. Hartley's characters speak from the gut and aren't prone to dramatic flair; they just breathe and act. The only significant flaw in my opinion in "Henry Fool", is that it wasn't three or four hours long -- I couldn't get enough.
Rating:
Summary: Clones from my youth
Review: Amalgam of several males I once knew, Henry Poole, that is. Misunderstood, unable to work 8-5 jobs, demented, irresponsible, genius; Henry is all the lowlife guys I knew while hanging around universities like Michigan State, Wayne State in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Berkeley, and Santa Cruz in early 70s. Reviewers said movie was too long; that it had gratuitous raunchy episodes and didn't make any sense--sort of like university life.
Rating:
Summary: Bad Bad Bad
Review: Any person finding deeper meanings in this movie is just an unintelligent person "fooled" into thinking that they understand things, because sometimes it's cool to pretend to like indie movies, even though many of them are just plain c**p. This movie has no deeper meanings, and its only redeeming quality was the vomit scene. I don't even like toilet humor, but that was the only time I had any interest in watching this movie. After 30 minutes, I turned it off.
Rating:
Summary: The Thin Line Between Artists and Fakes
Review: Awesome. This is one of my top-five favorite films of all time. I own this on VHS and I will buy the DVD as well. It's understandable that some intelligent, creative people may dislike this film. The movie demonstrates how one can be brilliant, skilled and dedicated (Henry), but ultimately unable to deliver. Henry's grasp of language and apparent intellectual depth are so engaging, we are fooled into believing his own claims to greatness. In a world crawling with self-proclaimed writers, artists and poets, it's a painful truth that talent and desire often do not lead to success. But all of this is really just a plot vehicle for the overriding themes of the movie. In the end, this is a film about friendship, loyalty, pride and family. And it's beautifully done. I've watched it several times and I'll admit that it drags a bit in places, but I still love it.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant script. A bit sketchy in plot at times.
Review: Bombards the audience with pure thought. Wonderful performances by entire cast. Odd, yet cathartic ending. If you love pieces such as those by Tom Stoppard (Arcadia, Brazil), you should be wonderfully moved by Henry Fool.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretention in American Ideology
Review: Film as Allegory...this seems to be a theme in many good films in my opion. Henry Fool (the film not the character) discusses the substance of Virtue and Knowledge. This approach to pretentious and displacement of prioity in America refreshes me. I am tired of the pseudo-intellectual approachs to existence that dualistically place all the weight of existential thought on elementary ideas of knowledge (ex. PI) and overlook the real essence of humanity, Virtue. This films places Knowledge against Virtue, exposing the pretention of American academia and consequently produces a film that resolves This conflict by not comprimising the two with a conclusion that lies in reality but in a hypothetical Allegorical reality. We see some of the absurdity and exagerated icons (ex. Parker Posey) used in some arguments involving social discussion. This film does not try to mimick reality (of course) but acts as an outlet to comment on this universal conflict within and between individuals (this term individual could however be questioned).
Rating:
Summary: Hartley's Masterpiece
Review: First of all, Leonard Maltin wouldn't know a good film if it fell on him. Secondly, this may be Hartley's greatest film. A witty, urbane masterpiece that is thought provoking and moving.
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