Henry's Crime

While in prison for a bank robbery he didn’t realize he was committing,  Henry Torne (Keanu Reeves), comes to the realization that as long as he’s already doing the time, he might as well do the crime. So when he’s released from jail he puts together a plan to rob the same bank. The plot to Henry’s Crime is a bit too over-complicated for its own good, but the outstanding performances of the cast make it work. Reeves, whose monosyllabic style of acting doesn’t always fit the roles he’s playing, does a nice job bringing the uncomplicated Henry to life. James Caan also does a fine job playing Max, a confidence man who, after being Henry’s cellmate for three years, decides to join in on the caper. Good as the guys are in the movie, Henry’s Crime works as well as it does for one reason: Vera Farmiga as Julie, a local television personality who dreams of leaving Buffalo behind to become a real actress in Hollywood. It’s not a showy role. Julie isn’t dying of a rare disease or escaping from an abusive relationship. She’s just a regular woman working hard at making her dreams come true, and Farmiga knocks it out of the park.