Fay Grim
A Queens, N.Y., woman goes on an international spy quest.
It's been 10 years since director Hal Hartley charmed the art–house crowd, with his film Henry Fool, said Steven Rea in The Philadelphia Inquirer. That 'œresonant study of friendship, art, trust, and politics' was the pinnacle of the indie pioneer's career. Its long–awaited sequel, Fay Grim, is 'œjust a throwaway joke.' Hartley has taken excellent characters—Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan); his estranged wife, Fay (Parker Posey); and her brother, Simon Grim (James Urbaniak)—and 'œthrown them into a Ludlumesque spy pastiche.' The scenario: Fay, is sent from Queens, N.Y., to Paris and Istanbul by CIA agents to find Henry's lost notebook of rantings, which the government is convinced is littered with secrets vital to U.S. security. Fay Grim starts out with 'œdash, then devolves into a rather generic spy thriller,' said Claudia Puig in USA Today. 'œThe film's satirical edge' is its strength, and unfortunately Hartley's 'œrazor–sharp wit becomes dulled' as it gets more and more ambitious in its plot twists. It seems the film's big idea is that 'œthe world has become increasingly more irrational and dangerous' since we last met these characters, said Mick LaSalle in the San Francisco Chronicle. Maybe so. But Hartley should stick to the small, quirky stories he does best.
Rating: R
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Easy listening: the best audiobooks
The Week Recommends Swap hefty hardbacks for hands-free reading this summer
-
Sharenting: does covering children's faces on social media protect them?
In The Spotlight Privacy trend has 'trickled down' from celebrity parents but it may not protect your kids
-
Syria's returning refugees
The Explainer Thousands of Syrian refugees are going back to their homeland but conditions there remain extremely challenging