Handsome Harry

This was an interesting thought. There are quiet a few things that we all do when we are young without even thinking of what repercussions it might have in our old age. What we might think of it and how it is going to affect us psychologically. Using this as a primary theme, this film takes us through the life of Harry Sweeney.

Handsome Harry as he is called by his friends is 52 years old, divorced and has a son who lives in Chicago. He is ex army servant and is carrying a secret with him. He also does not allow anyone to come close to him. He gets a call from his friend Kelly who is dying and who wants him to find out their friend Kagan and ask for forgiveness. Thirty years ago, these guys were a group of 5 friends in navy who always used to hang out together. In a drunken brawl all of the the group subjected Kagan to a beating because of homophobia: all of the men participated in the cruel act but one crushed the jazz pianist Kagan's right hand with an armature, destroying the hand from ever performing again. Kelley's reason for calling Harry is that Kelley believes he was the one who crushed Kagan's hand and wants Harry to find Kagan and ask him for forgiveness. Kelley dies soon after. Harry then visits all his friends one and one and they relive that moment, no one wanting to ever talk about it again. One of them has a gay son and his wife is leaving him, 2nd has a sick wife and third is a college professor now. Finally Harry finds Kagan but the maid tells that he is out. Harry returns home, distraught and emotionally exhausted. Apparently both Harry and kagan were madly in love with each other except harry just did not have the courage to accept it in open. When Kelly finds them together, all the men gang up and beat Kagan. And it was Harry who is the one who actually hit him with the armature. Sometime later after singing in a quartet contest Harry spies Kagan in the audience and the two leave for a dinner in a deserted restaurant. There Kagan shares ALL of the truth about the incident and about his relationship with Harry and the film ends quietly and painfully with the truth being on the table.

I thought the ending was perfect. Bringing the 2 men now together after all these years of gap would have been odd. It was very heartfelt when Kagan tells Harry, how he has loved him still all his life and how he followed his every move and knew exactly what was going on with his life. Their love was pure but for some reason Harry did not the courage. They both wonder how different and happy they both could have been if they stayed together.

This one is a soul-searching, heart-wrenching drama. (5.5/10)