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Parker Posey, Jeff Goldblum, James Urbaniak, Saffron Burrows, Liam Aiken ... see more see more... , Elina Löwensohn , Leo Fitzpatrick , Chuck Montgomery , Thomas Jay Ryan , D.J. Mendel

A single mother from Queens becomes unwittingly embroiled in international espionage in director Hal Hartley's sequel to the critically acclaimed Henry Fool. Fay Grim (Parker Posey) is determined to r... read more read more...aise her 14-year-old son, Ned (Liam Aiken), so he won't be like his father, Henry (Thomas Jay Ryan), who disappeared seven years ago after accidentally murdering a vicious neighbor. As Fay's brother, Simon (James Urbaniak), serves time in a prison cell for aiding Henry in his daring escape, he gradually begins to suspect that the man who inspired him to take up writing in the first place is not the louse he appeared to be, but instead the keeper of some potentially explosive government secrets that, if made public, could prove quite dangerous. As Simon begins to explore the possibility that Henry's autobiography, "Confessions," contains coded references to a wide variety of international atrocities committed by governments around the world, the CIA contacts Fay to inform her that her husband was killed in a hotel fire in Sweden shortly after fleeing America, and that the French government is currently in possession of two notebooks containing drafts of "Confessions." Convinced that the notebooks contain information that could endanger the security of the United States, CIA agent Fulbright (Jeff Goldblum) convinces Fay to travel to Paris and retrieve Henry's property before the information falls into the wrong hands. Now trapped in the middle of a cross-continental con and thrust deep into the world of international espionage, Fay is about to find out that her ex-husband is not only still alive, but in more trouble than he could ever imagine. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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56% liked it

22,380 ratings

Critics

45% liked it

87 critics

R, 1 hr. 58 min.

Directed by: Hal Hartley

Release Date: January 19, 2007

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DVD Release Date: May 22, 2007

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Parker Posey in FAY GRIM Saffron Burrows in FAY GRIM Parker Posey in FAY GRIM Elina Löwensohn in FAY GRIM Jeff Goldblum and Parker Posey in FAY GRIM Fay Grim James Urbaniak and Liam Aiken in FAY GRIM Parker Posey and Liam Aiken in FAY GRIM Parker Posey and Jeff Goldblum in FAY GRIM Parker Posey with Hal Hartley, writer and director of FAY GRIM Hal Hartley, writer and director of FAY GRIM Fay Grim
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Flixster Reviews (869)

  • LWOODS04
    August 7, 2010
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Parker Posey, Jeff Goldblum, Saffron Burrows, D.J. Mendel, Liam Aiken, Jasmin Tabatabai, Chuck Montgomery, James Urbaniak, John Keogh, Claudia Michelsen

    Director: Hal Hartley

    Summary: When it's discovered that her deceased ex-husband's manuscript contains information ... read morethat could threaten national security and implicate the government in a variety of conspiracies, Fay Grim (Parker Posey) is forced to travel to Paris and retrieve the book before it falls into the wrong hands. A follow-up to the critically acclaimed Henry Fool, this puzzling thriller from Hal Hartley also stars Jeff Goldblum and Saffron Burrows.

    My Thoughts: "It's an offbeat kind of film full of some odd, quirky characters. The story is OK and interesting enough to keep you watching, but it just wasn't anything special. Parker Posey, is what kept me watching this movie. She does a really great job in this film. I enjoyed Jeff Goldblum, in this as well. Thought him and Parker were quite funny in this. The acting in this film is a bit over the top, which makes the film seem even more silly. But I think it was the directors intention to have some of the scenes to come off that way. In the end, it was just an OK flick with some funny moments. If your a fan of Parker Posey, I would say have a go at this film."
  • dunmyer
    June 9, 2007
    dunmyer
    [size=3]Fay Grim is a unique film, but it's ultimately not that engaging. I really wanted to love it, given that writer/ director [b]Hal Hartley[/b] is such an independent. But alas, it's only mildly enjoyable.[/size]

    [size=3][img]http://blogs.indiewire.com/twhalliii/fgPoster.j... read morepg[/img][/size]

    [size=3]The film is a sequel to Hartley's earlier film Henry Fool, which I also saw and only moderately enjoyed. [b]Parker Posey[/b] plays Henry's wife. She has been abandoned by Henry, and she doesn't know what happened to him or where he went. [/size][size=3]She is contacted by the CIA, in the form of an agent played in deadpan comic fashion by Jeff Goldblum, and told that Henry was involved in espionage and may have been a traitor to the United States. To make a long story short, she ends up slipping off to Europe to find Henry and getting caught up in a set of interesting and funny double-crosses involving spies from about a dozen countries.[/size]

    [size=3]Fay knows next to nothing about politics. She barely knows where these countries are, much less what all the political intrigue is about. It is quite funny to watch her try to figure out what's going on and learn to do such things as talk in code. [/size][size=3]Imagine Lucille Ball joining the CIA: that's what it's like to watch Parker Posey play Fay Grim. But the comedy is never over the top or very screwball. Posey keeps it under control.[/size]

    [size=3]There's also a serious undercurrent to the film, which keeps the comedy in check. The audience is aware of the serious issues that are being talked about, even if Fay isn't. When the danger starts mounting, the film doesn't pull any punches. One of the delightful side characters is killed right before Fay's eyes, and there isn't a drop of humor in the scene. It's grim in a way that isn't the slightest bit ironic.[/size]

    [size=3]A slight literary element infuses the film, but not so much that you could call the film seriously literary. Fay's brother is an avant-garde poet, and there are jokes about publishing and the state of letters in America that are quite funny. But Hartley only sprinkles the film with a literary touch.[/size]

    [size=3]Despite a number of pleasant and intelligent elements and despite a very enjoyable performance from Parker Posey,, nothing in the film really sinks in very deeply. I forgot about the film about an hour after it was over. Nothing gets under your skin. Hartley just doesn't seem to take anything that seriously, and his comedy is rather mild. This film and this filmmaker represent a very minor footnote in cinema history.[/size]
  • gator681
    February 6, 2008
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]"Fay Grim" takes place seven years after Fay Grim's(Parker Posey) husband, Henry Fool, vanished after catching a flight to Sweden under an assumed name.(It's a long story, trust me. Or rather a long movie: "Henry Fool.") CIA Agents Fulbright(Jeff Goldblum)... read more and Fogg(Leo Fitzpatrick) ask her if she has read any of Henry's journals which they believe could be a threat to national security. One notebook is in the possession of a publisher(Chuck Montgomery) who passes it along to Fay's brother Simon(James Urbaniak) who is in jail for helping Henry escape. Two more are in France and Fay agrees to retrieve them in exchange for Simon being released from prison, so he can home school her son, Ned(Liam Aiken), who has been expelled for a little underage fellatio...[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]Written and directed by Hal Hartley, "Fay Grim" is a convoluted mess of a movie with ill-defined characters. It's not that all of the necessary elements are not in place, just too many of them. To make matters worse, too much time and energy is given to trying to explain the MacGuffin. In the end, it is irrelevant whether the journals contain government secrets, the pornographic ravings of a madman or a great egg salad recipe. And whenever it feels like there is a coherent statement about the national security state on the horizon, the movie simply stumbles off into another brick wall.[/font]
  • DuncanRR
    May 22, 2009
    DuncanRR
    Well, all's I got to say about this movie is that it's a bit of a mess. I like stories where ordinary people are thrust into extraordinary situations, but this was just convoluted as all get out. The last half-hour was pretty good, but I spend the first two-thirds of the movie wo... read morendering what the hell was going on and why I should give a damn about Parker Posey's character.

    Then I found out it was a sequel to something. Kind of wish I'd have know that BEFORE I rented it!!!
  • Yinali
    January 24, 2008
    Yinali
    It was an unexpected movie. Though Parker Posey makes it worth watching because of her acting, so it's a good movie.
  • wbgoose13
    June 7, 2007
    wbgoose13
    A deadpan espionage send-up that more than overstays its welcome.
  • whosinthenews
    October 18, 2009
    whosinthenews
    In Fay Grim Hartley rearranges Henry Fool's characters into a more lighthearted, ironic espionage tale. Unfortunately this film seems to only work in the minds those who enjoyed and looked forward to the further exploits of the original's characters, since there is an overall slo... read moreppiness to the sequel's construction. The humor is sometimes crisp enough, as is the talent involved, but mostly this just felt like an unnecessary epilogue which, in some cases, causes the original to lose meaning. The primary example being the validity given to Henry's "confessions" when the crux of the first was that his character was ultimately full of shit...and besides, if Henry's work had been even remotely related to spy/travel memoirs, why would he have gotten so visibly upset when Simon rejects its artistic worth?
  • Doctor0Quinzel
    September 29, 2007
    Doctor0Quinzel
    I really enjoyed this movie. it was funny and right up my alley. This is the first Hal Hartley film I have seen, but I will be checking out more of his films soon.
  • donnarenee2006
    June 14, 2007
    donnarenee2006
    Wow. Suprisingly a hit with me. Great storyline, with Parker being her best as Fay Grim. Strong story with great acting by a supporting cast. I do need to see Henry Fool to understand this sequel, but nonetheless it was a great movie, but makes me wanting more....
  • AlaineB
    June 24, 2011
    AlaineB
    Unpleasantness about spies, terrorists/freedom fighters, and bystanders involved/uninvolved in spy moves. And Fay Grim and her family caught up into it all. One viewing was enough for me.

View All Fay Grim Reviews

Critic Reviews

Susan Walker
May 25, 2007
Susan Walker, Toronto Star

Movie sequels rarely work as well as literary serials, but the Henry and Fay movies have the ring of a satisfying trilogy in the making. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
May 25, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

The involved backstory and Hartley's own generic music both prove burdensome; the main attraction is the cast's amusing way of handling Hartley's mannerist dialogue and conceits. Full Review

Claudia Puig
May 18, 2007
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Despite its imperfections, Fay Grim is worth seeing for Posey's and Goldblum's performances and particularly for the witty, literate dialogue. Full Review

Bruce Newman
May 18, 2007
Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News

Fay Grim is a farce in which people die and lives are ruined. Which is to say, it's peculiarly funny, but you have to be an existentialist with lightning-fast reflexes to get all the jokes. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
May 18, 2007
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

You won't see another film like Fay Grim this year, and we should give [Hal] Hartley credit for making it work on his own terms. Full Review

Steven Rea
May 18, 2007
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Where Henry Fool was a resonant study of friendship, art, trust and politics, Fay Grim is just a throwaway joke. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
May 18, 2007
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

The feeling of the original film has been lost. Full Review

Kyle Smith
May 18, 2007
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Fay Grim is like watching stoners playing Risk and Clue at the same time. Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
May 18, 2007
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

Hartley's work has always been an acquired taste. While Fay Grim is too uneven to win him many converts, it is laced with enough intelligence and wit to remind longtime fans why they were drawn to his... Full Review

Kevin Crust
May 18, 2007
Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times

This film feels like Hartley has been handed a Bourne or a Bond movie to direct and maintained his own style and low-budget aesthetic while thoroughly enjoying and deconstructing his new toy. Full Review

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  • Which American directed the films 'Trust', 'Simple Men', 'The Unbelievable Truth', 'Amateur' and 'Fay Grim ', and in 1997 was made a Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic.?  Answer »
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