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NPR

In 'Handsome Harry,' Guilt Plays A Starring Role
by David Edelstein
April 23, 2010
Listen to the story on WHYY's Fresh Air


Jamey Sheridan shines in the title role as a divorced contractor who exists merely as a "pale shadow" of his former self.
(Photo: EnlargeWorldview Entertainment)

One way to think of Bette Gordon's Handsome Harry is as a revenge movie turned backward and inside out. That is, the bad guys take revenge on themselves. Thirty-three years after they did a very bad thing, they're still eaten away by guilt — and one of them goes on a kind of pilgrimage to ask forgiveness from the person who was violated.

The pilgrim is Harry, once dubbed "Handsome Harry," a divorced New York contractor played by a brilliant actor named Jamey Sheridan. He has a long, somewhat flat face that can seem a mask of blandness or take on, in the movie's shadowy lighting, a faintly satanic cast. It's the face of a man with a secret, and, also, perhaps, of a man who keeps secrets from himself.

Shortly after his 52nd birthday, Harry receives a call from an old Navy buddy who's on his deathbed — Kelley, played by Steve Buscemi. A long time ago, Harry, Kelley and three others drunkenly brutalized a fellow sailor, Kagan, after learning he was gay. Now, as he lies in his hospital bed, Kelley's memories flood back.

Prompted by Kelley's death, Harry visits one old Navy mate, then another and another, heading south toward Miami, where the victim, Kagan, lives. The story's structure is a little plodding; there's a buried secret, but it's broadly telegraphed. But in the end the movie's flaws recede. Each of Harry's encounters is strange, gripping and revelatory. None of these men has put that night behind him. Yet none has coped with the memory in anything like the same way.

Nicholas T. Proferes' screenplay breaks each meeting into vivid dramatic beats, starting with glimpses of each man's broken life or marriage, followed by Harry's awkward, inevitable, urgent question: "Do you remember what happened that night?"

The actors are beyond praise. Buscemi is more gaunt and hollow-eyed than ever, which is saying something. As an affluent, alcoholic real estate agent, John Savage is a man deformed by a messy, uncontainable rage. Aidan Quinn plays a professor who has channeled his guilt into an anti-military, anti-macho philosophy; this is the film's least credible idea, but Quinn gives it weight. Finally and most frightening is Titus Welliver as a born-again Christian whose wife is a paraplegic and who thanks the Lord in almost every sentence. The sight of him clutching a golf club and fighting to keep his true bile from rising is indelible.

Gordon has radar for the uneasy posturing of the archetypal American male, especially when the subtext is homosexuality. But her vision isn't reductive. Harry is damned, but we still have glimpses of a larger spirit, of the passionate man he was.

The victim, once a concert pianist, finally makes an appearance, although not in the way we expect. He's played by Campbell Scott, and his restraint is far more haunting than rage and tears. Kagan is a passive revenger. He has waited. And Harry's sin, we learn, came from a different place than his buddies' blind, stupid prejudice.

Underneath the revenge story in Handsome Harry is a kind of ghost story. Those ghosts aren't just the victims of hate, disfigured by a violent, senseless world. The ghosts are also the victimizers — men like Harry who are pale shadows now, having murdered what was best in themselves.

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NY Press

Be a Man: Jamey Sheridan is a revelation in ‘Handsome Harry'
by Armond White
April 13, 2010


MORRISSEY RECENTLY MUSED: "Design if you can/ The way to just to be a man."That wonderment defines both La Mission and Handsome Harry, two new movies that dismantle social myths about masculinity.

The best thing about Handsome Harry is its anachronistic concern with guilt. Harry Sweeney (Jamey Sheridan, an actor once lauded for his snark) is a Vietnam vet whose masculine good nature covers up his inner torment until a friend's death forces him to bring his guilt and the full extent of his humanity out of the closet. Fools will call that a spoiler, but unless we've lost appreciation for the art of cinema to move us by recognition of our common concern, the remarkable depth of Sheridan's performance will be a revelation for anyone who seeks out Handsome Harry.

Sheridan's Harry gives a complex, more accurate measure of how one man deludes others as a way of protecting himself. While Handsome Harry's story is obvious—borrowing familiar road movie tropes—it roughly sketches sensitive points of self-acceptance in the way Harry and his navy buddies blot out their youth or wince at its memories. As middle-aged men, they don't lament lost innocence but the principles and friendships they allowed themselves to betray.

This sense of regret is neither common nor popular in modern, youth-oriented film culture; there's a lost-cause quality in Harry's valiant journey to face the people he feels he disgraced. Sheridan embraces Harry's obligation as his own artistic mission and that fervor can also be felt in Steve Buscemi, John Savage, Aidan Quinn and Titus Welliver, who've all aged past youthful narcissism.These actors show vulnerability in their physicality with each other and their complex relations to women.Their different levels of bonhomie recall the insight of Bob Rafelson's 1970s films as well as a post-Cassavetes sense of exposure—but with a different acceptance of male openness that, like La Mission, reflects a changed perspective on masculine behavior.

Director Bette Gordon presents the actors' sensitivity with tactful insight and appreciation reminiscent of Katherine Dieckmann's very fine Diggers. Gordon doesn't indulge peacocking like George Clooney's directors; she provides a context for rethinking masculinity that connects with the actors' candidness. This is best seen in the divorced Harry's fond distance with his son and a charming ironic moment when Harry and a female conquest (Mariann Mayberry) discover a common past and sing. Sheridan's performance is meant to be a breakthrough and these scenes that take him beyond the sharp-eyed sass of his TV work fulfill that aim.

Sheridan's bloom into Harry's self-acceptance makes Handsome Harry especially poignant as an ought-to-be love story.

It makes a perfect double-bill with Kyle Patrick Alvarez's recent Easier With Practice, which observed the ways young men delude themselves, and Sheridan clarifies similar complications—especially when Harry meets his former shipmate and best friend (Campbell Scott), to whom he smiles incessantly.That mix of chagrin and tenderness, the need for forgiveness, is ardent but also remarkably forthcoming.

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LA Times

Capsule Movie Reviews: Handsome Harry - A rare feature, beautifully executed
by Kevin Thomas
April 16, 2010


The stunning "Handsome Harry" is only the third theatrical feature director Bette Gordon has made since her 1984 "Variety," an indie landmark that challenged the usual feminist view toward pornography. "Handsome Harry," which was written by Nicholas T. Proferes, expands upon the themes of Gordon's second film, "Luminous Motion" (2000), in which a 10-year-old boy comes to love life on the road with his mother, learning that you either accept the inevitability of change and loss as a part of growing up or you're destroyed by it. "Handsome Harry" too is about change, delving into how a group of Vietnam War vets has stayed trapped in a John Wayne concept of manhood.

Harry (Jamey Sheridan) is successful as a small-town electrician but is a loner long divorced and barely in touch with his son. A guilty past catches up with him when he receives a deathbed call from Tommy ( Steve Buscemi), who craves forgiveness for an incident that occurred when he and Harry were among a group of Navy electricians. Back then, Tommy discovered their friend David making a pass at Harry as they showered, and soon the whole group is severely beating David. Tommy charges Harry with tracking down the other tormentors and finding David to beg his forgiveness.

When inevitably Harry and David (Campbell Scott) meet again, Harry is confronted with the true and full circumstances of the incident — a truth he has tried to suppress for 32 years. Gordon's way with actors and with screen storytelling is as impeccable as ever.

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NY Observer

The Truth about 'Harry'
by Rex Reed
April 14, 2010


It's rare to see a film directed by a woman who knows more about men than they themselves do. With Handsome Harry, the widely respected independent filmmaker Bette Gordon has hit a bull's eye. The title role, played with creative sensitivity by the underrated Jamey Sheridan, is a lonely, isolated Chicago electrician—divorced, alienated from his only son and no longer sexually active—whose empty life is only occasionally brightened when he sings with a vocal group for fun. When a former Navy buddy dying of cancer (Steve Buscemi) contacts him, seeking forgiveness for himself and their old gang for something terrible they did to a fellow pal in Vietnam, Harry goes on the road to find each of them. Peter (John Savage) is an angry homophobe with a gay son whose impotence has wrecked his marriage. William (Aiden Quinn) is a college professor who has erased the ghosts of his past except for that one heinous act of cruelty. And so it goes, one confession leading to the next, until the incident is revealed in flashback—a drunken brawl in which five sailors ganged up on a gay friend, smashed his hand and left him almost for dead. The last man on Harry's list is the victim — a former jazz pianist with a talented future whose career was destroyed in the attack. David, poignantly portrayed by Campbell Scott, has spent his life trying to understand why he was betrayed by the man he loved — who turns out to be Harry himself.

Reuniting for the first time in 32 years, David offers Harry one last chance to face the dishonesty that trapped him in a second-rate life. David taught him about real passion, introduced him to the music of Chet Baker and Miles Davis and Oscar Peterson, and changed his life. Then Harry destroyed the thing he loved but could not admit to loving. The big question — does a man like Harry have the courage to realign his priorities and start over? — is answered by the delicate writing of Nicholas Proferes and the sincere direction of Bette Gordon in a finale that is heartbreaking. Obviously influenced by the films of John Cassavetes, she does a fine job of exploring wasted lives, roads not taken and the painful realization that it takes more to make a man than a pair of fists.

When inevitably Harry and David (Campbell Scott) meet again, Harry is confronted with the true and full circumstances of the incident — a truth he has tried to suppress for 32 years. Gordon's way with actors and with screen storytelling is as impeccable as ever.

Running time: 94 minutes
Written by: Nicholas T. Proferes
Directed by: Bette Gordon
Starring: Jamey Sheridan, Steve Buscemi, John Savage, Aiden Quinn, Campbell Scott
3 Eyeballs out of 4
rreed@observer.com

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MTV Blog

Two Early Tribeca Film Fest Picks
by Kurt Loder
April 21, 2009


Two pictures already stand out, both defy genre pigeonholing and both, I think, will be stirring up appreciative buzz over the course of the 12-day festival.

The (other) Tribeca film I wanted to see again before it even ended is "Handsome Harry," about four old navy buddies drawn back to a very dark incident in their past. The director, Bette Gordon, who started out in New York's downtown movie scene back in the punk days, and is now a professor in Columbia University's filmmaking program, is a master of mood and pace. She never opts for an obvious shot, or hurries the story along for fear of testing some hypothetical viewer's patience. Not that she needed to worry about that -- there isn't a dead passage in the whole picture. The cast is an indie dream, with Jamey Sheridan, Steve Buscemi, Aidan Quinn and John Savage as the now-middle-aged pals – out of touch for decades, and none too happy about getting reacquainted – and the incomparable Campbell Scott playing a key fifth character and bringing to the film a tide of deep emotional resignation.

The central revelation in "Handsome Harry," though, is Jamey Sheridan, who's in every scene and whose portrayal of conflicted regret and inescapable longing is a wonder to behold. Sheridan has been making movies for more than 20 years ("Syriana" and "The Ice Storm" are among his credits); but he, too, is a "Law & Order" veteran, and it may be for his long-running role as top cop James Deakins in the "Criminal Intent" spinoff that he's best known. Here, illuminating his heartsick character with the most delicate gestures and intonations, he exudes star quality. All that's missing are the traditional accolades and statuettes. Maybe not for long, though.

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Eye For Film

Handsome Harry
by Amber Wilkinson
April 21, 2009


"In Handsome Harry," boys have become middle-aged men "and" the memory of past transgressions burns as deep as if they had happened yesterday.

Harry is handsome, now as then, and charming and something of a pillar in his local community. But although not a conman in the truest 'flash Harry' sense, he is a chameleon, blending in, masking his true colours, particularly when it comes to emotion. On the verge of retirement and with the hint of a new relationship in the wings with diner dame (Karen Young), divorcee Harry is getting ready for some serious prime time, when a call from his past sets the closeted skeletons a chattering.

One of his erstwhile naval bunkmates Kelly (Steve Buscemi, in a brief but scene-stealing role) is dying of cancer and the sins of the past are weighing heavily upon him, specifically an argument with one of their bestest buddies Kagan (Campbell Scott), which left Kagan maimed. Neither Harry nor Kelly can remember the event as clearly as they would like - or perhaps they can't forget it as well as they want to - prompting Harry to go on a personal Odyssey, visiting the rest of their cabal in turn to find out who did what to whom and why.

Each of the men represents a different aspect of male sexuality, including - but not limited to - the selfless, possiby celibate Gebhardt (Titus Welliver) and violent alpha male Peter (John Savage). And each of the men is struggling to come to terms with their past. As Harry continues his "progress" towards Kagan and the truth about his own involvement in the original fight, we are drip-fed scenes from the past, shot in sumptous shades and laden with some powerful jazz scoring.

Wonderful performances abound. Jamey Sheridan - most familiar for his long-standing role as Captain Deakins in Law And Order: Criminal Intent - brings to mind Richard Jenkins' knock-out performance in The Visitor, such is his quiet and effortless intensity as Harry. It's amazing he didn't pip Ciaran Hinds to the Tribeca 2009 acting award. Meanwhile, Young, Savage, Welliver, Scott and Aiden Quinn all match him step-for-step in their supporting roles. Director Bette Gordon is aware of parallels and uses her camera wisely to make certain aspects of each encounter mirror and recall one another to help build events to a moving climax.

The only downside of Handsome Harry is that its narrative arc is as simple as its emotional journey is complex. This means that the film feels slightly episodic, with the flashbacks not quite able to paper over the joins between each of Harry's encounters. But make no mistake, this film has an emotional heart that's beating fast.

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Campus Circle

Handsome Harry
by Denise Guerra
April 13, 2010


Jamey Sheridan in Handsome Harry
(Credit: Robert Nethery)

I had an initial prejudice about this film. Harry is, in fact, too handsome and charismatic. Men look up to him, and women want him. Actor Jamey Sheridan (Syriana), who plays Harry, gives off a Jeff Bridges vibe that is hard to shake. The man has a tall, broad build and kind eyes certain to make a presence anywhere he goes. Harry is a chameleon of emotions, which Sheridan plays with vulnerable sincerity.

Despite my prejudice of his handsome exterior, Harry is secretly introverted, showing moments of helplessness in his personal relationships. Forced to confront his shortcomings, Harry makes a promise to a dying old friend, Tom Kelley (Steve Buscemi), who asks Harry to seek forgiveness from Dave Kagan for an event Harry, Tom and their close friends committed while in the military.

Like Harry, it takes time for the film to get to a more profound place. The beginning plays off rather contrived with a feeling of predictability. But as we learn more about what happened to Kagan, tight strings start to unravel and we are left sifting through the clues of Harry's past.

The movie operates like a slow pressure cooker, building upon Harry's journey across the country to make sense of how one night continues to haunt those involved. Alternating between sudden flashbacks and vignettes of Harry's encounters with old friends, the film gives the audience psychological clues to the mystery of Harry's character. Sojourning across America we find what many of his old Navy pals have done to mask what happened to Kagan: Some refuse to acknowledge what happened, others used it as a catalyst for change, while still others let it fester inside. It is an event that leads Harry back to the source and to deal with Kagan directly.

The film plays like a detective story as it goes back and forth with brief flashbacks, so simple as an expression that it takes the whole film to make sense of the larger narrative.

A drama that unfolds between men is usually filled with male machismo and their relationships with women. This film ignores that and instead explores the emotional vulnerabilities of men. Younger generations may not have much interest in a drama involving old men like their fathers, but there is an essence to the film that speaks to anyone struggling with forgiveness – a topic that is astoundingly heartbreaking when the sin is so great.

Grade: A-

Handsome Harry releases in select theaters April 16.

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Film Journal

Trolling Tribeca: Eighth annual festival offers leaner, stronger lineup
by Doris Toumarkine
May 6, 2009


(Image: Keneu Luca)

Bette Gordon's superb drama Handsome Harry concerns the secret past of a seemingly ordinary and wholly likeable good guy about to retire who has built a cozy life in a friendly but dull upstate New York town. Jamey Sheridan is absolutely amazing as the handsome 52-year-old divorced hero whose memories of his young days as a sailor and road trip to find some answers are triggered by the death of one of his Navy buddies. Gordon, best known for her cult film Variety (another TFF selection), somehow gets everything right in this poignant work, including her wise casting of supporting roles played by Steve Buscemi, Campbell Scott, Aidan Quinn and John Savage. No distributor yet, but it shall come to pass.

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LA Weekly

Star-studded Method Film Fest's Hits and Misses
by Ernest Hardy
March 24, 2010


"...Director Betty Gordon's Handsome Harry breaks your heart with its tale of youthful betrayal and how it haunts the lives of all involved, even decades later. The title character lives in a small town where he's much beloved by the locals but estranged from his adult son. An inopportune phone call from a dying old navy buddy sets in motion a quest for redemption that sucker-punches you with its plot-twists and emotional power. A who's who of indie film (Steve Buscemi, Aidan Quinn, Campbell Scott, Bill Sage, John Savage, Karen Young) makes up the supporting cast, while Jamey Sheridan's weathered face is beautiful enough to illustrate how Harry earned his nickname, while also powerfully segueing from tenderness to rage to grief."

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