Henry Johnson

Wordy playwright David Mamet got behind the camera for the first time in a decade+ to direct his own screenplay (adapted from his own play) "Henry Johnson" - a dull & plodder that may delight his pseudo-intellectual snob fans but will sink anyone else into a morose coma. It's basically four conversations the titular Evan Jonigkeit has with Chris Bauer (good), Shia LaBeouf (twice), then Dominic Hoffman. If it ended after Bauer's opener it would make a neat short, but no, it descends on into weighty come forgettable droning monologues to illustrate one man's weakness. It's a crushing bore that'll make most hope Mamet disappears for another decade+. Dreadful.

It's hard to believe Henry Johnson was written and directed by David Mamet. There are only four scenes and five characters, but that's not the issue. The issue is how it leaves you feeling like you're watching something important without ever being allowed to understand why.

There is meaning here-but it's buried so deep under cryptic dialogue and missing context that it becomes exhausting to chase. My wife and I, both fans of layered storytelling, followed the plot. We knew what was happening. But knowing what's happening and feeling anything from it are two different things.

The main character, Henry, is a puppet-manipulated by everyone around him, devoid of agency, drifting through the film with no spine and no mind of his own. That might be the point, but it makes for an incredibly frustrating viewing experience. You keep waiting for him to wake up, push back, do something-but he never does.

Watching Henry Johnson is like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces intentionally missing. Or worse, like having sex with the worst person you've ever met: dull, one-sided, and strangely confident in itself. You suffer through it, holding out for something transformative, and get five seconds at the end that almost-but not quite-redeem the misery.

There's a version of this film that could've been brilliant. This isn't it.

Firstly it's not a 10, it's more an 8. But tue 1s and 2s it does not deserve.

This is a brief look at a broken system which can quickly drive someone to madness in a falling-down esque way.

The acting is precise and the monologues are engrossing and believable. It's cold and ruthless and meant to be drawn out and dark! You need to imagine yourself sat in the audience in a dark theatre watching only 2 ppl on a stage ignoring all that's around you and totally delving into their world. If you try it to look at this as a film then you will misunderstand and belittle it. But this is a triumph and a testament to the creators. I'm guilty of not following Mamet's work but now I'm intrigued and shall be driving into his back-catalogue.

This is not cinema at its best and it's not meant to be. It's designed to be a mere snapshot of a handful of characters over an unknown time period. We don't need a backstory or building of characters or any real plot. We just need to sit and admire how a basic premise here can open our eyes, albeit for a very short time, to catastrophic events that could happen to literally anyone given the circumstances.

Henry Johnson is a phenomenal film to watch. They say that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions and this film is the visual depiction of that phrase. It's a well directed tale that gains momentum as it shifts from scene to scene culminating in an ending that pulls you in, sways you gently back and forth and then throws you off a cliff. The dialogue between the actors throughout the film was so smooth that it brought to mind an Olympic relay team effortlessly passing a baton back and forth. Don't miss this one - it's been a long time since a film of this caliber has been made and probably a long time before one like it will be made again.

This one is deep. My only critique is that I want more of it. I'll probably watch it a few more times to grasp all of the dynamics at play portrait by the four seen characters and role of the unseen therapist.

Each actors performance is impeccable. I came to this movie, only being familiar with Shia LaBeouf, but I will be watching more works of the other actors as well.

As a former marriage and family therapist, I believe everyone in the mental health field should have this as required viewing. We never meet her so we don't know her true motives or truth, but this film raises important questions.