g-49747 Unparalleled development of three characters flawed only bc Henry begins as such an unbelievable loser. The tempo is beautiful, rising to genuine theater in the final scene. One of the best low-budget films I've ever seen.

lavatch There was an ingenious concept to this combination caper and romantic comedy. From start to finish, the film never takes itself too seriously, and the result is pure entertainment.Much credit belongs to the screenwriter who blended the production of Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" occurring in an old Buffalo theater next to the city bank. The robbers (James Caan, Keanu Reeves) ingeniously burrow into the bank vault from beneath the theater in order to rob the bank.The best scenes are from the Chekhov play, as reality blends with the stage drama in the relationship of Vera Farmiga's character Madame Ranevskaya and Reeves' Lopahkin. When the actors begin improvising lines, the audience loves it! One of the best characters in the film is the police officer who becomes the "inside man" for the bank heist. Some of the lines and deadpan humor are priceless, making "Henry's Crime" a true joy.

vchimpanzee Henry has a boring job in the Buffalo area as a toll collector. We never see exactly what road he is on, but it appears there is lots more traffic in the background than there is on his road.One morning he comes home and gets to spend some time with wife Debbie, a nurse. Their marriage seems okay. Then Henry's friends, including Eddie, come over and say they need him to play in an important softball game. But they need to make a stop at the Buffalo Savings Bank first. All four men are wearing uniforms, but Henry has to stay in the van. The other three put on masks and rob the bank. Only Henry is caught, and since he won't rat on his friends, he gets sent up the river.Fortunately, Henry's cellmate is a really nice man named Max. Max is a lifer who likes prison and has no desire to get out. Henry doesn't seem to despise prison, but he would like to leave. And his time is over pretty quickly. His wife has left him, and he needs to figure out what to do with his life. Henry finds out about a tunnel built between the bank and what is now Orpheum Theater, used for a speakeasy during Prohibition. He did the time, so why not rob the bank anyway? In the process of investigating Henry meets Julie, an actress best known for lottery commercials who is acting in a Chekhov play at the theater, but wants to be a real actress. As a cover, Henry decides to join the play, and he's actually pretty good. And he and Julie seem to like each other. He later gets more help when Max gets out on parole and continues his previous life as a "confidence man" (he hates the term "con man"). And the cop who caught Henry wants to help too, because he's not appreciated.One possible problem: Eddie and his friends want in on the action.Can Henry get away with it? This is the type of movie where we want him to succeed, like in "Ocean's Eleven".In a better movie, James Caan would have been nominated for an Oscar for his excellent portrayal of Max. He is the standout performer here.Vera Farmiga is quite good as Julie, who is better than this sorry role. And yet she gives it her all. What she does on stage and in rehearsals is worthy of being seen on the Tonys.Keanu Reeves is okay. Not bad. Not great. He's better in the Chekhov play.Fisher Stevens does a very good job. I'm used to seeing him as a basically nice guy who is sleazy, but here is is just bad. Not bad in that sense. He's very good at being bad.There's no clear ending. I will say that much. So I'm not quite sure what happens. But the climactic scene is pretty amazing.It's really worth seeing.

rrcharpe Am I the only one or has Keanu Reeves developed a serious career penchant for playing almost lifeless (let's say flat faced) characters who essentially slide their feet through life acting like (let's face it) idiots. This movie and the way Reeves plays his role reminds me of how flat faced he appeared in the sci-fi remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still. I admit that this method acting by Reeves actually fits his unusual facial structure but I get tired when someone expects us to be entertained by movies he's in which highlight this idiotic imminence front (think The Who). The plot is also incredibly implausible and Reeves' reaction to his involvement in a crime he did not commit as well as his reaction to his wife when she visits him in prison are totally unbelievable, as is this entire worthless movie. 4 out of 10 MAX.