Film Review – The Book of Henry

“The Book of Henry” wants to be loved, and it won’t allow its audience to consider any other reaction to the work besides pure, teary joy. It’s a return to smaller-budgeted filmmaking for director Colin Trevorrow, who gained industry attention with 2012’s “Safety Not Guaranteed,” quickly accepting an opportunity to try blockbuster helming on for size, guiding 2015’s “Jurassic World.” Perhaps searching for a palate cleanser before taking the reins on “Star Wars: Episode IX,” Trevorrow gives the impression he’s returning to a human story after orchestrating dinosaur rampages, but “The Book of Henry” just as fantastical as “Jurassic World,” with screenwriter Gregg Hurwitz lost in preciousness with what should be a devastating drama, while Trevarrow welcomes any chance for manipulation, making as candy-coated a feature as possible, avoiding realism and characterization to focus almost solely on cloying storytelling. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com