Henry's Crime

Reeves often displays moderate to little affect onscreen; here his reserve suits the story, as the experience of acting helps the reticent loser find himself. Vera Farmiga crackles as the feisty star of the play, while James Caan, as the hero's accomplice, proves a most charming rogue. more

Occasionally too pleased with itself, it's also pleasantly unpredictable, and it has a trio of sweet hambone performances at its center. more

Go for Caan and Farmiga, and stay to be surprised by Reeves. more

With a terrific cast led by Reeves, Vera Farmiga and a splendid James Caan, this is a fun comedy with irresistible heist and heart. more

Director Malcolm Venville, who made the British gangster flick "44 Inch Chest," has a strong handle on the tone, so even the familiar twists feel fresh. more

You can't help but feel that the ambition of Henry's Crime was determined by the near anonymity of its title - the movie seems to be ensconcing itself into the Witness Relocation Program. more

Caan and Farmiga give more to the material than it can return, but it sure is fun to watch them tangle. more

An offbeat comedy/drama elevated by another terrific Varmiga turn. more

There's pleasure to be found in the resolute offbeatness of Henry's Crime. It's nearly as concerned with the play as it is with the heist (and with drawing parallels between the two). more

Reeves has many arrows in his quiver, but screwball comedy isn't one of them. more

Keanu Reeves plays the meek Henry Torne, who works a toll booth in Buffalo. He is having some problems with his wife Debbie (Judy Greer, a young version of Susan Sarandon). He is conned into driving some guys to a baseball game, only as it turns out they rob a bank and Henry is the only one who gets caught. Henry meekly says nothing in his defense and gets sentenced to 3 years. During this time his wife leaves him for another man, which doesn't seem to bother Henry. In prison Henry meets Max Saltzman (James Caan), prison philosopher, barber, and story teller. Caan convinces Henry that if... more

James Caan in a superb role as a jail lifer and philosopher. Vera Farmiga in a superb role as a bitter and skeptical actress playing the female lead in Chekhov's Cherry Garden. Keanu Reeves in a strange role as a romantic sleepwalker. Buffalo in a decent supporting role as one of the most awful cities that the US can offer to world civilization. A film somewhere between thriller (suspense entirely absent) and comedy (of the mild philosophical kind). Plausibility not relevant. My verdict: rather enjoyable because of Caan and Formiga. Reeves doesn't disturb much. more

One assumes that Henry (Keanu Reeves) has some kind of inner life. He seems to be a likable, easy-going fellow; it's just that he's a bit...inscrutable. Maybe it's his job. Working the graveyard shift night after night at a N.Y. Thruway tollbooth would put anybody in semi-comatose state. Nothing fazes the agreeable yet impassive Henry, one way or the other-although he does display a slight twitch when, one morning at breakfast, his wife (Judy Greer) broaches the subject of the couple having a child. Suddenly, we get the impression that Henry would prefer to be anywhere else but there, at... more