Fay Grim

Hartley's eight-years-on sequel to ‘Henry Fool’ finds the abandoned wife (Posey) of the scumbag anti-hero of the earlier film trying to find out what became of him; as theories and revelations to his true identity, activities and whereabouts emerge, it posits a past for him that embraces and evokes political turmoil worldwide… The film has its moments (it’s funnier and less wooden than the unreleased ‘No Such Thing’ and ‘The Girl from Monday’), but is a far cry from Hartley’s finest achievements. There are good gags, nice turns from Goldblum and Ryan, and an excellent lead in the dependable Posey, but it’s also too long, a touch smug in its use of hindsight, and occasionally hard to follow.