Fay Grim (2006)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Hal Hartley

Writer:

Hal Hartley (written by)

Release Date:

26 September 2008 (Brazil)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

Featuring the continuing adventures of Henry Fool

Plot:

A ten-years-later continuation of Hal Hartley's "Henry Fool", where Fay Grim (Posey) is coerced by a CIA agent (Goldblum) to try and locate notebooks that belonged to her fugitive ex-husband (Ryan). Published in them is information that could compromises the security of the U.S., causing Fay to first head to Paris to fetch them ... |

Plot Keywords:

CIA | Sequel | Vibrating Cell Phone | Cell Phone | Murder

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Parker Posey	...	Fay Grim
D.J. Mendel	...	Father Lang (as DJ Mendel)
Liam Aiken	...	Ned Grim
Megan Gay	...	Principal
Jasmin Tabatabai	...	Milla
Chuck Montgomery	...	Angus James
James Urbaniak	...	Simon Grim
John Keogh	...	Prosecutor
Claudia Michelsen	...	Judge
Jeff Goldblum	...	Agent Fulbright
Leo Fitzpatrick	...	Carl Fogg
J.E. Heys	...	Herzog
Aminata Seck	...	Woman Visitor at Prison
David Scheller	...	Convict Husband
Aoibheann O'Hara	...	ER Nurse

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:M18 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

HDNet Films

Trivia:

Fay Grim was shot almost exclusively using Dutch angles (tilting the camera off to the side).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Father Lang: Fay? You OK?
Fay Grim: I'm afraid.
Father Lang: Why? Has something happened?
Fay Grim: I'm afraid for my son... He's fourteen.
Father Lang: Boys have been known to survive that, Fay.
Fay Grim: I'm afraid he'll grow up to be... well, like his father.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'Fay Grim' or: How Do You Spell Espionage? (2007) (V)

Hit and miss

Perhaps I would have liked this film more if I wasn't so attached to the characters in Henry Fool. To those who've never seen Henry Fool, I wouldn't worry. As Hartley jokingly said in his introduction to the film at TIFF, the film has lots of exposition and explanations.

This film is very heavy in plot, which keeps the film moving. There are many humorous moments and the film certainly has Hartley's trademark humour and rhythm of dialogue. Over all, a technically well made film and sure to satisfy new fans of Hartley who are just beginning explore his work. As for the older fans who loved his earlier works like Trust and Amateur, this film could go either way. I have mixed feelings about the film and Hartley's later films in general. What Hartley does best is setting his stories in small situations, focusing on the intimate and idiosyncratic ways in which his characters interact with each other. Since his late 90s and onward, his films have widened in scope in terms of subject matter. Mass media in No Such Thing, Religion in the Book of Life and now Terrorism in Fay Grim. I don't know if Hartley's talents are suited to such big subject matter or if he's able to do it justice.

Strangely enough, the film can still be reduced to intimate relationships, a simple love story about a woman who goes to seek out the husband she loves. The only problem is, I've seen Henry Fool and everyone seems incredibly out of character in this film. You can tell this film was written long after Henry Fool was finished without any intention of a sequel. Somehow, the terrorist plot feels conveniently tacked on through the use of Henry's books of confessions as a macguffin (in the hitchcockian sense). Fay's motivations for finding Henry seemed motivated purely by the needs of the plot rather than what being faithful to who fay was as person in Henry Fool.

I guess I'm slightly disappointed in the film because it's not true to the characters in the Henry Fool and it doesn't exactly work as a straight ahead thriller. There's too much irony and wryness in Hartley's approach to such as big topic as terrorism. It somehow works and doesn't work at the same time. All I could say, you would either love or hate the film depending on your take on Hartley's work and how well you know Hartley's work. Fans of Henry Fool, be severely warned for a disappointment. For the rest, welcome to the world of Hal Hartley and enjoy the ride.