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Indie wonder >> Hal Hartley and his Henry Fool by MATTHEW HAYS
The '97 event marked the world premiere of his latest film, Henry Fool, and what threw off some audience members--Hartley's notoriously obtuse style--delighted others. Fool is the story of Henry (Thomas Jay Ryan, in an inspired performance), a man who rents a basement suite in an apartment block as he escapes a mysterious criminal past. Henry is soon setting life for the building's residents on its ear; he's a boorish, rather crazed, bad influence on the entire building. Not everyone likes Hartley's trademark style, which is in full display here. But the Toronto crowd roared their approval. "They were laughing when I was," Hartley said. "So I must have done something right." (Henry Fool went on to win the Best Screenplay award at Cannes this summer.) Hartley immediately set the record straight, praising his cast for helping to make the film what it is. Parker Posey's turn as a self-esteem deprived nymphomaniac is particularly noteworthy. "We've been talking about this character for a long time," said Hartley, of his close working relationship with Posey. "I wrote it specifically for her. It was kind of an epiphany to have it all come together. To have this conventionally unattractive girl, with this brash attitude, trying to get Henry to pay attention to her. The jumping back and forth between confidence and vulnerability, fighting for prevalence--Parker carried that off so well." Surprisingly enough, Hartley says his style, which feels tremendously theatrical, is not influenced by the theatre at all. "I wouldn't actually use the word 'theatrical' in relation to my films. My movies aren't afraid of showing their artifice, and that's not something I necessarily think of as theatrical. Most theatre that I see and don't like is theatre that pretends to be real, that tries not to portray its own artifice." Hartley says Henry Fool is essentially about talent, ambition and influence. He has complained in interviews that everyone is always asking him about his influences, so I popped the question anyway. "I guess I've been influenced by all of the really classic directors: Preston Sturges, Howard Hawks, John Ford... and Wim Wenders," he says, which makes perfect sense. Hartley's string of acquired-taste movies has placed him in a select league--along with John Sayles, Spike Lee and Jim Jarmusch--as one of America's premiere indie filmmakers. "The first time someone called me an indie filmmaker, I had no idea what that was. Someone had to explain it to me. I really had no idea it would ever happen. I assumed my films were never going to be popular." Henry Fool opens Friday, October 9 at the Cinéma du Parc. See repertory listings for showtimes
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Hal Hartley was glowing as he basked in the glory of a warm audience response at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. The fest has become a "second home" for the independent director behind such quirky films as Trust, Simple Men, Flirt and Amateur.