A Journey Fueled by Regret and Silence

Read Time:4 Minute, 43 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Handsome Harry (Blu-ray)
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Genre: Drama
Year Released: 2009, Kino Lorber Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 1h 32m
Director(s): Bette Gordon
Writer(s): Nicholas T. Proferes
Cast: Jamey Sheridan, Steve Buscemi, Aidan Quinn, John Savage, Campbell Scott, Titus Welliver, Karen Young
Where to Watch: available now, order here: www.kinolorber.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: In HANDSOME HARRY, a man’s life is interrupted by an unexpected request, and from that moment, the truth—long buried and conveniently distorted—begins to unravel. Directed by Bette Gordon, this deeply personal drama follows a Vietnam veteran reckoning with his past, not in pursuit of forgiveness, but to understand the cost of denying who you are and what you’ve done.

Jamey Sheridan delivers a quiet but emotionally potent performance as Harry Sweeney, a 52-year-old Navy vet who has lived decades behind a carefully constructed mask. Known to his peers as “Handsome Harry,” he’s built a life rooted in small-town simplicity and routine. But when his estranged Navy friend Kelley (Steve Buscemi, sharp as always but in a brief and pivotal role) reaches out from his deathbed, Harry is pulled into a soul-searching journey across the country—and across his memory.

Kelley’s plea is vague but charged: find the rest of the old crew, face what they did, and make it right. What unfolds is part road trip movie, part personal reckoning, as Harry tracks down the remaining members of their circle, one by one. With each visit, the nature of the long-ago incident becomes clearer and more painful. Yet rather than focusing solely on the “what,” the film is far more interested in the “why,” digging into the toxic masculinity, fear, and repression that created the environment for such an act.

There’s a thoughtful structure to how this investigation plays out. Each man Harry visits represents a different defense mechanism: denial, religious repentance, academic distance, and projection. From John Savage’s emotionally distant Rheems to Titus Welliver’s man of faith, each interaction mirrors Harry’s evolving self-awareness. The screenplay resists the temptation to blame one figure—it indicts a system of silence. This collective stagnation allowed a hate crime to be committed and then conveniently forgotten.

The visual palette is intimate and unobtrusive, with cinematography that never distracts from the characters. Some visual softness and color grading choices might feel dated, but they serve the story's muted mood. The jazz-infused soundtrack stands out, especially in scenes where music becomes an emotional bridge between characters.

While many films have explored the long shadow cast by war, few have done so through the lens of identity and generational shame with such intimacy. HANDSOME HARRY doesn’t try to resolve everything—it acknowledges that some wounds never fully heal, especially those we inflict on ourselves. But it offers the possibility of reckoning, facing the reflection and saying, “This is what I did. This is who I was. And maybe, this is who I could still be.”

Sheridan’s turn as Harry is the glue that holds this journey together. It’s a restrained performance, layered with hesitation, grief, and flickers of warmth that catch you off guard. It’s rare to see a character this emotionally conflicted allowed to exist without nicely wrapped-up answers. The supporting cast is impressive, though many appear briefly. Buscemi adds quiet urgency to his scenes, and Scott anchors the film’s final act with a powerful presence that lingers well after the credits roll. Karen Young adds grounding as Muriel, offering a glimpse at what Harry’s life might have been had he been less afraid.

This isn’t a film designed to please everyone—it’s slow, emotionally layered, and refuses easy processing. But HANDSOME HARRY leaves an impression for those willing to sit with its questions. It asks what we owe to each other, ourselves, and the people we betrayed—intentionally or otherwise. Harry's is refreshingly uncertain in a world full of redemption arcs that feel unearned. It’s not about being forgiven. It’s about facing the mirror and seeing the man you are, for the first time in decades.

Product Extras:
Audio Commentary by Director Bette Gordon
Audio Commentary by Actor Jamey Sheridan
Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
Theatrical Trailer

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[photo courtesy of KINO LORBER]

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