THE STORY – A man seeks his moral compass while meeting authority figures, including his future cellmate Gene.
THE CAST – Evan Jonigkeit, Shia LaBeouf, Chris Bauer & Dominic Hoffman
THE TEAM – David Mamet (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 85 Minutes
There’s so much power that can be gleaned from a conversation. Even the most casual exchanges of pleasantries can reveal a deeper level of intention and feeling between the associated parties. It’s why our ability to verbally communicate in this way makes us fascinating creatures. We can navigate arduous terrain, fight grueling duels, and find elation in a profound realization that pierces the psyche. It’s an impactful tool, which is why artists seek it out. Even when conversing in the same language, there is a tactful quality that can be sensed even in the most subtle of ways. It’s a landscape that David Mamet has built a career upon, with renowned works that engage with colorful exchanges that arrive at an insightful truth for those who participate. “Henry Johnson” is his latest offering that peers into the complicated depths of the human condition, and this effort is both a fascinating and tedious process to endure.
When we first meet the title character, Henry (Evan Jonigkeit) is presented as a respectable, if meek, lawyer who has been summoned to the offices of his boss, Chris (Chris Bauer). Their exchange eventually unearths a case that Henry took on, one which made him vouch for a questionable individual who convinced him to undertake acts of criminality. This leads him into the very cell of those who were at the receiving end of the judicial system that he defended, and it puts him in the crosshairs of his cellmate, Gene (Shia LaBeouf). While Henry attempts to recalibrate his new surroundings, Gene pounces on the moral ambiguity, seizing any opportunity to mold his new companion’s perspective into a new worldview. When things take a violent turn, Henry is left with Jerry (Dominic Hoffman), one of the prison’s guards, in a confrontation that will ultimately put him through the greatest test of resilience and growth.
Even if one does not immediately know that this is based on a theatrical piece, it’s obvious to deduce that these extended scenes of discussions revolving around a limited number of characters in a condensed space blatantly telegraphs it was conceived for the stage. Many adaptations of such works are faced with the daunting task of how to create a cinematic presentation that doesn’t feel stifled by the constraints of the other medium. After all, theater allows for a suspension of disbelief that is harder to achieve in film, a medium that strives to capture more realistic perspectives. Mamet pulls double duty as writer and director, and his skills at the latter are inconsistent. You can feel that tension in trying to maintain a sense of intrigue with two characters talking with each other without the momentum becoming stagnant. The first interaction between Henry and Chris, for instance, has the camera subtly drift as the characters do, dancing around desks as the subject becomes deeper, bathed in a warm glow from the cinematography.
But when we shift to the prison, the tiny cell is much more restrictive. There are fewer options for becoming inventive with filmmaking, even in a quiet manner. Instead, the monologuing becomes more abrasive and, in turn, less compelling. The pacing, which was never moving at a breakneck speed to begin with but at least had a steady rhythm that was engrossing, comes to a sudden halt. Characters aren’t seen moving with the same eagerness through these spaces anymore, and the filmmaking becomes stiff. By the time the finale is reached, any excitement that is meant to be taken from these events unfolding during a high-stakes situation becomes muted because of the banal tone that struggles to build a satisfying catharsis. It constantly seems as if Mamet has a stronger grasp of the words he’s penning than the sequences he’s shooting.
On the subject of Mamet’s words, there’s a fascinating dynamic at play. There’s a lyrical quality to the speech that is highly stylized but in any way that’s immediately apparent. These men speak with a flourish that circles around topics, both addressing and avoiding the deeper meaning simultaneously. The layers are pulled back, which keeps you invested in every new line as it slowly chips away at the surface in search of the real truth. A simple exclamation of, “He’s my friend,” which is immediately interrogated as to whether or not the contraction refers to a current or previous status, is what makes the writing so playfully enthralling. The drain is being circled, but tracing the lines that spiral into each other is a captivating venture to witness. However, much of this engaging aura is showcased in the film’s first act, all within that office where the cat-and-mouse wordplay is at its most heightened.
As soon as we leave that space, and the forward momentum becomes dull, so too does the beguiling nature of this screenplay. Chris’s authoritative voice, which is both endearing and intimidating, is so riveting, completely overshadowing the drab diatribes that Gene professes about human nature within a judicial system that is corrupt to the core. There’s an obvious motive behind his manipulation of Henry, but its grandiose posturing isn’t provocative (which may also be a fault of its delivery). It’s also here where we see how passive a character Henry truly is, allowing himself to be bent in any direction based on the authority his opposite seems to possess. In centering such a blank slate, little about his own intentionality is really felt. He is written to be a man easily taken in by the opinions of those around him but ultimately has no arc or journey that is internally driven. As more dire situations are brought up involving other participants who are only mentioned but never seen, the opaqueness of Henry is crystallized even further. With no alluring central figure to follow, his inactive personality is just another drag on the film’s overall stimulation.
Since our title character is such an empty suit blowing in the wind, it’s difficult for Jonigkeit to really make a credible impression. For his part, he does embody a man who never possesses any strength but is determined to skate by on the bare minimum that society will allow. It’s what makes the trap set by his boss so gratifying to watch unfold. But when his entire worldview changes, he’s stuck in the same drive, and the performance, in turn, doesn’t break free from this mundane tone either. One would think LaBeouf would be the one to bring some fiery energy to this piece, which can be said regardless of your personal opinions of his off-screen behaviors. Yet, his inflection is stale, with no glint behind the eyes that compels you to watch a twisty personality devour his prey. His introduction is as flat as his unceremonious exit. Hoffman is saddled with the heaviest anchor that exhausts the finale into an elongated bore, but he does possess the nature of a grounded everyman who strikes the right intention for the moment. Bauer is clearly the best, starting off on a high note the rest of the film never lives up to. He’s cunning and enticing with how he chooses to reveal the most consequential details of this exchange and becomes the greatest asset in a way that never plays its hand too much.
The cruelest trick that “Henry Johnson” plays is how riveting it appears to be at first glance. There’s a steady rhythm to the banter that has a habit of talking around the core of the discussion, playfully dancing to the point where you’re completely hooked. Yet, once it moves away from that first encounter, each subsequent scene is a series of diminishing returns. The filmmaking can’t sustain such intrigue, and the writing itself soon becomes stilted. The actors carry the material as best they can, but so much air is let out by the end that the finale becomes underwhelming. The climax is meant to carry a twinge of disappointment, but instead, we find relief. Relief that the endless circles that were once so appealing have finally come to an end. The film has some revelatory themes that are sadly not maintained all the way to its conclusion.
HENRY JOHNSON will be available for rental starting May 9, directly from its official site (https://henryjohnsonmovie.com), with nationwide theatrical screenings throughout the summer beginning on the same date.
