Search - Hal Hartley :: Henry Fool: A Film By Hal Hartley - Original Soundtrack

In Hal Hartley's films (Flirt, Amateur, The Unbelievable Truth), the characters rarely speak to each other. That's not to say that they don't speak; rather, they tend to speak at--and sometimes in spite of--one another. It can be quite disconcerting at first, but the effect only serves to highlight the greater truths of the scene. On the soundtrack to Henry Fool, Hartley--performing for the first time under his own name, rather than the pseudonym Ned Rifle--works in much the same way. Samples and loops form the basis for the instrumental tracks that make up bulk of the album; the sound shares a kinship with Yo La Tengo but ultimately expands in other directions. The balance of the soundtrack comes in the form of four songs performed by Ryful (Hartley, ex-Golden Palomino Lydia Kavanaugh, Hub Moore, Jim Coleman, and Bill Dobrow) and sounds like equal parts Grant Lee Buffalo and Michael Penn. Henry Fool is a wonderful, challenging film; the soundtrack is easily its equal. --Randy Silver