FAY GRIM — ** 1/2 — Parker Posey, Jeff Goldblum, James Urbaniak; rated R (violence, profanity, brief sex, vulgarity, brief drugs).
"Fay Grim" is a sequel to "Henry Fool," a 1997 film that made about $5 at the box office.
That would seem to imply that this sequel was made for artistic reasons, unlike so many follow-ups that are made for purely commercial considerations.
And this often-cheeky spy thriller is of at least some interest because it completely turns the first film on its ear. However, the deadpan comic rhythms and other offbeat sensibilities means it's pretty much just for fans of filmmaker Hal Hartley.
Parker Posey reprises her role as the title character, Fay Grim, a single mother who's been abandoned by her husband, the failed author Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan).
Henry fled the country 10 years ago, after he accidentally killed a man and left Fay's brother, Simon (James Urbaniak) to take the rap. But a CIA agent named Fulbright (Jeff Goldblum) has turned up with some new information about Henry's whereabouts and his recent activities.
Fulbright claims Henry is dead and that his unpublished journals, a series of notebook "confessions," contain vital U.S. intelligence secrets. So he's asking Fay to go to France to recover them.
But Fay will only agree to do so if Fulbright will help free her imprisoned brother, since she thinks her own wayward and truant son (Liam Aiken) would benefit from his guidance.
Hartley clearly intends the film to be an affectionate homage to Orson Welles, since it copies the style of some his thrillers — right down to skewed camera angles. But as with most of Hartley's films, this one feels a little stagey and aloof.
Thankfully, he's got a solid lead in Posey, who's amusing, especially as her character gains confidence and as she begins to turn the tables on the duplicitous Fulbright and others.
"Fay Grim" is rated R for some strong violent action (shootings, an auto-pedestrian collision and violence against women), some strong sexual language (profanity, slang and other suggestive talk), simulated sex and other sexual contact, and brief drug references. Running time: 118 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com