
NED RIFLE is the third and final chapter of Hal Hartley's tragicomic epic begun with HENRY FOOL (1997, TIFF) and continued with FAY GRIM (2007). At once a saga concerning the Grim family of Queens and how their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of the self-proclaimed genius Henry Fool, the trilogy is also an illustration of America's grappling with ideas, art, politics, and religion over the course of 20 years. In this swiftly paced and expansive conclusion, Henry a... (Full plot summary below)
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NED RIFLE is the third and final chapter of Hal Hartley's tragicomic epic begun with HENRY FOOL (1997, TIFF) and continued with FAY GRIM (2007). At once a saga concerning the Grim family of Queens and how their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of the self-proclaimed genius Henry Fool, the trilogy is also an illustration of America's grappling with ideas, art, politics, and religion over the course of 20 years. In this swiftly paced and expansive conclusion, Henry and Fay's son Ned sets out to find and kill his father for destroying his mother's life. But his aims are frustrated by the troublesome, sexy and hilarious Susan, whose connection to Henry predates even his arrival in the lives of the Grim family.
Leave your thoughts about Ned Rifle.
| Village VoiceZachary WigonHartley's humor and intellectual musings are, as always, fully present, but by anchoring them to a genuinely compelling story of familial retribution, he's made his best film in years. |
| IndieWireEric KohnThe poetic rhythm with which Hartley brings three movies of events to an end is a tight, gripping expression of closure. |
| Little White LiesAnton BitelSeemingly everyone here, viewer included, is on a Fool's errand in trying to pin down the ever-fugitive Henry... which makes this most elusive of characters a perfect figure for a trilogy whose own significance is difficult to capture. |
| SF WeeklyJonathan KieferIt's as close to an adding-up as can be expected from any thrifty trilogy spread out over three decades, but surely a testament to enduring indie integrity. |
| Chicago ReaderBen SachsFor all the evident despair, Hartley can't repress his love of cinema; the comic dialogue sings and many of the images have a fragile beauty. |
| CineVueBen NicholsonRife with the director's trademark stylistic preferences, this is a blast of an idiosyncratic comedy full of brilliant deadpan performances that offer a wickedly funny and poignant conclusion to the fable. |
| The Hollywood ReporterJordan Mintzer[Aubrey Plaza] adds something different to Hartley’s usual hijinks, making for a crime dramedy that’s ostensibly quirky, but also short, sweet and quite moving. |
| RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoNed Rifle, the final chapter in a strange trilogy with “Henry Fool” and “Fay Grim”, is a movie about damaged people coming to terms with their damage by turning to others. And it’s Hal Hartley’s best movie in years. |
| The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloConsequently, anyone coming to Ned Rifle cold will be bewildered. But there are numerous pleasures for the initiated, from Ryan’s continuing dissolute mellifluence as Henry Fool to Simon’s rebirth as a terrible stand-up comic constantly monitoring the comments on his blog. |
| VarietyDennis HarveyThough lacking the emotional depth and almost epic scope that made “Henry Fool” loom so large after Hartley’s anecdotal, idiosyncratic early features, Ned Rifle is a far more satisfactory extension of its memorable characters than the misbegotten “Fay Grim.” |