Henry Johnson

Directed by David Mamet, Henry Johnson follows Evan Jonigkeit’s title character as he encounters three characters (Chris Bauer’s Mr. Barnes, Shia LaBeouf’s Gene, and Dominic Hoffman’s Jerry) in the wake of a criminal episode. Filmmaker Mamet, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a talky (and stagy) adaptation that fares best within its engaging (and periodically engrossing) first half, and it’s clear, certainly, that the opening stretch, revolving around an encounter between Bauer and Jonigkeit’s respective figures, escalates to a decidedly irresistible degree and concludes with an unexpected (and completely satisfying) punchline. From there, Henry Johnson progresses into a hit-and-miss midsection focused on Henry’s ongoing discussions with LaBeouf’s philosophical Gene, and while the overall impact of Jonigkeit and LaBeouf’s scenes together is hardly as pronounced as the Bauer/Jonigkeit scene, LaBeouf’s intense, commanding turn goes a long way towards compensating for the less-than-enthralling bent of the characters’ conversations. By the time the underwhelming third act rolls around, which is admittedly capped off with a compelling final few minutes, Henry Johnson has cemented its place as a relentlessly erratic endeavor that nevertheless sustains one’s interest for the duration of its 85 minutes.

**1/2 out of ****