Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien (2000)
Directed by Dominik Moll

Film Review

One of the French film highlights of the year 2000, Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien is a brilliant combination of black comedy and suspense thriller, two genres which have an enduring popularity in French cinema.  The film clearly shows it influence from such sources Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King, whilst the plot is little more than a clever re-working of Hitchcock's masterpiece, Strangers on a Train.  The  film was directed by the German director, Dominik Moll, easily his best work to date, and, although the plot is perhaps lacking in originality, it is a captivating and highly entertaining film.

In trying to pin down why this is such a good film, it is hard to know where to begin.  The acting is superlative on all fronts, with a particularly memorable double act from Sergi López and Laurent Lucas, who play Harry and Michel respectively.  The photography is by and large conventional for a French thriller but manages to create just the right level of suspense and tension.  It is probably the script which is the film's trump card, excellently well written with some sublimely funny black comic one-liners and too many memorable comic situations to enumerate.  The horror of the unexpected pink tiled bathroom barely surpasses the car journey from Hell which starts the film, and then there are flying monkeys with propellers, and Harry's peculiar habit of eating raw eggs in the nude to boost his libido.  That a film can include near-surreal scenes such as these (and many more besides) and still appear convincing is a remarkable achievement, proving that a film cannot go far wrong if it has a well-written script.

Another reason why this film should be commended is that it functions at many levels.  At its simplest, it is pure escapism, a quirky jet black comedy whose sole purpose is to titillate and entertain.  But there is really is much more to this film than that.  It can be read as a latter day fairy tale for grown-ups, reminiscent of the Monkey's Paw story.  There is an suspicious willingness on the part of Michel to accept the clearly psychotic Harry as a friend, almost as if he conjured him into being in the first place.  Harry represents Michel's dark desires, the means by which he will free himself from his overly possessive parents and the chains of domestic life.  Part of the thrill of this film is that the audience never quite knows how far Michel will allow Harry to go, and indeed whether Michel really is as ignorant of what Harry is up to as he appears.  It is this dangerous uncertainty which makes the film's ending so effective and climactic.  As the credits roll, we still cannot answer the one basic question: who is the villain of the piece: Harry or Michel?

Not surprisingly, this blend of dark thriller and intelligent comedy was a hit at the box office (making it one of the most popular films in France in 2000).  It was also lauded by the critics and won a commendable four Césars in 2001 (including best director and best actor, for Sergi López).   López also won the best actor award at Cannes in 2000 for the role of Harry, a friend you would mostly definitely not like to have... or would you?

Film Synopsis

Michel, a young teacher, is driving his wife and three young daughters to their country home.  During a stop at a petrol station, he meets another man, Harry, who recognises him as a fellow schoolmate.  Remarkably, Harry is able to recite a poem which Michel wrote for a school magazine years ago.  Michel invites his unexpected new friend, and his girlfriend Prune, to stay at his country home.  In return, Harry offers to help Michel out in anyway he can, revealing that he himself is living off a wealthy inheritance.  Although Michel politely declines Harry's offers, Harry presents him with a brand new four wheel drive car to replace his old clapped out car.  This only furthers Michel's unease, but Harry is still determined to help him, although it is an obsession that soon takes a macabre turn...