With a Friend Like Harry... (2000) User Reviews

Doctor Jekyll and mister Hyde in the French country...

[dbdumonteil · 8/10 · 9 April 2005]

One of the first moments of this movie makes inevitably think of "Shining" (1980) by Stanley Kubrick and "Funny Games" (1997) by Michael Haneke: an aerial shot which follows a car on the highway. Inside it, a typical French family who goes on holiday in their country house hoping to find some peace. It's particularly true for the parents, Michel and his wife who seem to be all keyed up because of their restless children. On a rest area, Michel meets an old school friend: Harry who proposes Michel to come and spend a couple of days to his country house. The latter accepts. From the beginning, Harry appears as a charismatic and mysterious character. Who is he? Where does he come from? What does he want? We learn very few things about him or just vague facts. The director Dominik Voll preferred to leave high and dry Harry's origins and it's better this way because the spectator can imagine whatever he wants about him. Be that as it may, we can bring a beginning of answer to the third quoted question: Harry wishes Michel well and he's ready to do anything for this, even to kill...

After a six-year absence (his last movie was "intimacy" in 1994), Dominik Voll made a successful comeback with "With a Friend like Harry" (2000). He seduced both the critics and the public and won 4 French Oscars in 2001 including Best Actor for Sergi Lopez. It's funny to note down that the basic idea for his second feature-length film came to him from a holiday memory when, just like Michel he met an old school friend which he hadn't seen for years. This trivial detail inspired him to focus his movie on the theme of the double. Besides, the first apparition of the two main protagonists happens in front of a mirror. Harry can be considered the incarnation of Michel's repressed drives and buried desires. In a way, he's what Michel would like to be or to do (consciously or not). I think there are numerous examples in Voll's opus and I will retain the three following points: Harry enjoys a perfect sexual life (eating a raw egg after an orgasm is good for health!) and perhaps Michel would like to know something similar to this. Then, Harry kills Michel's parents and every time the latter invites them for lunch or dinner, he has to fetch them: his father can't drive for medical reasons. Perhaps, Michel has hidden death wishes about his parents. At last, by congratulating Michel about the writings he made in high school, Harry probably wakes in Michel hidden desires of writer. Roughly, Harry wants to help his friend to advance in life, no matter what the price is.

"With a friend like Harry" is Voll's second film in six years but his making is absolutely awesome. If the beginning of the movie turns out to be a little trite:how many times in cinema have we seen the trick of the helpful character invading a so far peaceful universe? But fortunately, once this moment passed, the rest makes forget this weakness. The movie adopts a slow rhythm without hastes and opts for the unexpected to play with the spectator's nerves. Dominik Voll weaves a more and more heavy even stifling atmosphere marked out by Michel's psychological changing who seems to become a little unrecognizable to his wife. Besides, she tells to Harry: "you've got a bad influence on Michel". This heavy atmosphere is reinforced by a precise and rigorous making which favors close-up shots and the length of quite numerous sequences. Overrall the director achieved a tour de force by mixing several cinema genres in a coherent story. What is close to comedy in the beginning of the story ends up turning to drama and thriller and the abrupt changes of tone follow on from each other with a diabolical logic. Moreover, Voll knows how to use black humor and certain moments give sometimes to the work an eccentric side.

Needless to say that the cast is largely equal to the story. Already remarked in the invigorating "Western" (1997) by Manuel Poirier (whose he is one of his favorite actors), Sergi Lopez finds the role of his life in Harry. It will certainly be hard for him to equal his performance in the future.

Highly recommended, "With a Friend like Harry" is a work that can be understood on several levels. It's a fascinating work and however we come out of the projection with a little uneasiness because of Michel's disturbing face. Harry's influence has altered him and he looks threatening as if he was going to commit something bad. As for Harry, in the domain of the pain in the neck characters, he is, in the long run, not exactly like Seraphin Lampion in "the adventures of Tintin"!

Slow-paced but tense French thriller.

[gridoon · 8/10 · 7 August 2003]

There is something alarming and off-kilter about Harry from the moment we meet him; his casual way of speaking about orgasms and forgotten childhood poems to (essentially) complete strangers just a few hours after their first meeting only intensifies our suspicions. Sergi Lopez gives a brilliantly unnerving yet subtle performance as Harry, and he's the best reason to see the film. But not the only one. The director is able to present characters, situations and family tensions that are thoroughly believable, thereby drawing us deeply into the story. The acting is first-rate, the camerawork excellent; what the film needed to help it move into the realm of "great" was a little more snap. (***)

Could've been much better

[jdxyz · 6/10 · 16 May 2001]

The major flaw with this film is that Harry's motivation for his patronage of Michel and Claire is never fully disclosed. It obviously has something to do with wanting Michel to start writing again, but I was waiting for the entire film to find out what Harry is really after and I never did. Character-driven stories are all about motivations and desires, and these are lacking in this, a very character-driven film, which harms rather than helps it.

Creepy right from the start

[eVissa · 8 April 2004]

When I rented this movie I thought I was in for a black comedy, but when Harry approached Michele, his old school mate, there was something ever so slightly creepy about him. Nothing you could your finger on, it just felt not quite right... From that point onwards Harry was always there, remembering word for word a poem that Michele had written while at school, remembering Michele's story written years before. Harry was so nice, so attentive and yet so odd... Was Harry in love with Michele?

Your instinct tells you something's not right but you keep watching, hoping that you can figure Harry out, giving him the benefit of the doubt, while all the while your gut instinct is that this guy is trouble, he's a manipulator, he's calling the shots, and yet you push those thoughts aside as he's so charming.

This film held my attention, I was hooked right from the start. It's classy, understated, with a wealth of detail in the merest glance. With a subtlety that you rarely see in US or UK movies. If you like lots of action, you probably won't like this movie, it moves inexorably onwards to what you sense is going to end in tears.

A very good movie, not to everyone's taste, but if you like subtlety, classy acting, and an insight into how a psychopath can insinuate himself into your life, this movie's for you.

WHERE'S THE TWIST??

[kevin c · 6/10 · 18 November 2000]

Moll has obviously overdosed on Hitchcock and especially "Strangers On A Train". But unlike with De Palma, it's not a bad thing. Lopez is excellent as the charismatic dark side. It's an interesting premise, that the film is allowed to develop and then not deliver the final modern Hollywood twist. Catch it.

You have to overreact.

[film-critic · 9/10 · 9 December 2004]

The opening scene to this film is what immediately pulled me into the story, characters, and emotions. The consistent nagging of our main character's children pulled not only at Michel's mind, but also deeply into ours. This sets the stage, while already having your emotions and sense heightened, for the meeting of Harry, Michel's counterpoint in the film. A classic combination of American Psycho and Swimming Pool, our two characters and everything surrounding them pull us in every direction. From confusion, to suspicion, to fear, and even disbelief, we watch as a simple friend, and unknown acquaintance becomes so deeply rooted in this struggling family. Director Dominik Moll has done his homework in this genre and successfully creates a film that not only tantalizes, but also settles in deep inside you releasing snippets of fear throughout the story. His camera angles, structure, and deeply rooted character development make this little, almost unknown, thriller a step above the others out there.

As I said before, Dominik Moll does a great job directing. It is obvious from the opening credits until the chilling ending that he is very comfortable with the genre and the material. There are some amazing scenes that boldly stick out in my mind, and that is a great sign that the director has gone well beyond his duties to create a powerful film. Outside of the direction, which does stand on its own, we also have some of the best casting around. Sergi Lopez literally steals every scene in this film. His charisma, quiet demeanor, and sinister eyes keep our eyes focused directly on him at all time. Moll gives us nothing about Lopez's Harry, which makes him even more watchable. He is curious and slippery all at the same time. We are never quite handed the reason for Harry's persistence with Michel's writing or the back-story on how these two met (the circumstances that apparently effected Harry's life), and it works in this film. I am notorious for needing more stories to accentuate the characters, but in Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien, none is needed. The suspense is built by not knowing and it really sends a chill up your spine.

Talking a bit more about the characters, I loved the way that Plum was handled. Who was she? Why did she always seem to know what Harry was doing? To me, that was some of the more frightening elements of this film. Plum had a secret, and I really wanted to know what it was. You can never trust Harry, which makes me wonder what was the truth and what were lies that he spoke about. Strangely, the way that I saw it, Harry never lied. Outside of the dirty deeds that he sometimes did, he was a pretty honest guy and I think that was his way of winning over Michel's support. On a side note, could you not see this film being remade using Robin Williams as the role of Harry. After seeing him in One Hour Photo and Insomnia, I could see him pulling off a role similar to this (also, Lopez sometimes looked exactly like Williams). Oh well, it was just a thought.

What kept this film going was the simplicity of the story. It was obvious that Moll used the ever-popular direction known as "K.I.S.S." (Keep It Simple Stupid) to keep his audience focused on the characters that were in front of them. This was a character-based film that, like an onion, had layers upon layers of emotions. There were no elaborate sets, no twists and turns, no sudden jumping that would detract us from the story, it was a simple story with amazing characters, nothing more … nothing less. For this film, it worked.

Finally, I would like to take you on a thought journey if you wouldn't mind. Think about this for a moment as you finish reading this review. I thought of this after watching the film and as I typed this review. What if there was no Harry? What if Harry was just a figure of a broken man's imagination? From the opening scene we see the tension that Michel is feeling about his life and family, why is it impossible to think that perhaps he created Harry out of thin air to help him through the rough times. We all think of times in our lives that we wished we could go back to, perhaps Michel's time was when he was writing. Writing seemed to ultimately make him happy, so why not dream of a way of getting back there. When it got to scary for Michel (breakdown was pushing him away from those that he loved), is when he had to deal with Harry. I know there are logistical issues with this thought process, for example conversations and so forth, but it was a thought I had as this film seemed to wrap up. Maybe others feel the same, perhaps I am crazy, who knows … only I will know when I approach you as a lost friend next time you are at a rest area.

Overall, very impressive work by everyone involved. I thought that the story was tight, the characters were immensely disturbing and exciting at the same time, and the images decorated the film very well. I would suggest it to anyone that loved Swimming Pool, the structure is very similar … except one is sex and the other is writing. They do go together … don't they?

Grade: **** out of *****

You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend...

[Coventry · 6/10 · 3 November 2023]

Few things make me feel so uncomfortable than stories about unnaturally friendly people that infiltrate into the life of normal people and then turn out to be total psychos! That is probably because these stories are a confronting reminder that the majority of us (myself included) are unnecessary polite cowards, and we could easily avoid a lot of trouble if we were just a bit more assertive and honest. Like Michel and Claire, the couple in "Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien". If they, at the fuel station in the beginning of the film, had the guts to say: "Sorry, Harry, but we haven't spoken in twenty years and we were never even that close to be begin with, so I don't see a reason why you should accompany us on our holiday trip", well, then nothing awful would have happened.

On the other hand, of course, you can't deny this sort of stories are identifiable and disturbing, and thus they work very effectively as thrillers. "Harry, etc." is one of the most known and acclaimed (since it was shown at Cannes' Film Festival") titles in the genre, and a very good film overall. It's not the best of its kind, in my humble opinion. If you like the formula of "stranger-danger", make sure to check out the 2022 "Speak No Evil" by the Danish writer/director Christian Tafdruk.

Claire and Michel have a busy and stressful life. They work hard throughout the year and raise three energetic daughters, and rather than relaxing during their well-deserved summer holiday, they renovate the old and ramshackle cottage they bought in Switzerland five years ago. They're on a tight financial budget, and Michel also constantly must play chauffeur for his ageing parents. When Michel runs into Harry, with whom he went to high school, the contrast between them couldn't be bigger. Harry is rich and totally carefree, with only a beautiful trophy-wife by his side. Harry invites himself to Michael and Claire's cottage, and gradually starts doing things to make Michel's life "easier". In fact, what Harry really wants is for Michel to start writing poetry and silly Sci-Fi stories again, like he did in high school.

Dominik Moll's film bathes in a continuously uncanny atmosphere, and benefices greatly from the powerhouse performance by Sergi Lopez as the unpredictable and megalomaniacal creep Harold "Harry" Balestrero. We all know, from our own circle of friends, that one person who doesn't understand when he/she outstayed his/her welcome, right? Well, Harry is that person multiplied by a thousand. His behavior and interpretations of what life's priorities should be are insanely surreal. And that is also the biggest weakness in "Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien", I think. The script can never be taken seriously and remains circling around in black-comedy territory. The very best titles, like the aforementioned "Speak No Evil" dare to go further.

PS: I definitely do want to watch a film version of that "Flying Monkeys" story, though!

Brilliant Thriller in classic style

[jluis1984 · 8/10 · 12 December 2005]

The debut of french director Dominik Moll is a brilliant movie that follows Hitchcock's school of classic suspense to the letter, while keeping the directors own modern style in a psychological thriller reminiscent of David Lynch.

Laurent Lucas stars as Michel, father of a middle-class family that goes on vacation to their house in rural France. On a gas station he finds Harry (played by Sergi López), a rich man who went to high school with Michel and that is traveling towards Switzerland with his girlfriend Prune (beautiful Sophie Guillemin). Michel invites Harry to his house, because even when he can't remember who Harry is, it seems as if Harry remembers everything about Michel.

The problems of Michel with his parents and his wife Claire (Mathilde Seigner) will come to light as Harry intrusion becomes more apparent and Claire begins to wonder how healthy is Harry's influence over his husband.

The story moves at a slow pace building the suspense and the tension between the characters to a maximum. Nevertheless, the direction and the script make sure that this slow rhythm will not become boring or tiresome and the movie works very wheel filled with interesting scenes that give everything you NEED to know about the characters, but not everything you WANT to know about them.

This classic take on suspense and mystery, that many have tried with mixed results, works very good here thanks to the wonderful script that adds scenes of bizarre surrealism that while serve the purpose of breaking the suspense, they also increase the tension and mystery surrounding their characters.

It's worthy to mention the superb acting of those involved. Lucas, Seigner and López have a good chemistry on screen that clearly helps the movie to be as powerful as it is.

By the end of the movie the tension is at it's peak and the script makes the most of it giving a brilliant finale that even when it is very simple it is both mysterious and rewarding.

This is not the typical thriller with horror/suspense. It's a modern update to the classic suspense style of film-making that Hitchcock did so well. 8/10

Overrated but pretty good

[cthulhu-23 · 6/10 · 18 June 2001]

I saw all the ads proclaiming this a brilliant, surprising thriller. it was fairly well done, but nothing surprising here, save possibly the lack of frontal nudity in a wide-release French film. The story seemed for all the world to me like a remake of an American movie.

Don't believe the hype, don't expect too much, and you may enjoy this film.

A real gem!

[inframan · 10/10 · 20 January 2005]

With a Friend Like Harry is a jewel of its kind, Hitchcock would love it. Consider that most of it takes place either indoors or outdoors at night or on menacing serpentine roads. Very claustrophobic effects, just like the master himself. And it is devoid of the usual clichéd homages & in-jokes that prevail in the usual Hitchcock wannabe film. It builds smoothly & menacingly, with perfect tempo, the characters are believable to the point of banality - again, just like the master's very best films. But over & above the expert elements of suspense & character & humor that pervade this movie, I would like to add that it is a delicious contemporary reading of the universal Faust legend & to me that is it's ultimate brilliance.

Multiple interpretations don't make it any less thin

[Spleen · 7/10 · 23 April 2002]

Spoilers follow.

I agree. I hadn't thought of it before, but the interpretation offered below (my thanks to Eric of Seattle), according to which Harry is a mere figment of Michel's imagination, and everything that happens in between the opening sequence with the bickering family in the hot car and the peaceful family in the air-conditioned car doesn't really happen, or at least doesn't happen in quite the way we see it happening, is dead right. But this doesn't make the film any better. The knowledge that it was all just a dream can't add zest or resonance to a story that lacks both. Rather the reverse. Initially, I was disappointed when Plum was killed, because one potential source of interest was removed; and besides, I liked her. As it turns out, she wasn't really killed, because she never really existed. This is even more disappointing.

In short: the act of interpreting the film is more interesting than the film itself. I don't want to give the impression that it's dull. It's slickly made, with no discernible stylistic blunders, and the key revelations and developments are for the most part interesting-in-theory. The two mystery characters, Harry and Plum (especially the latter, although it could be that I'm being influenced by the fact that Sophie Guillemin is one of the most gorgeous women in the world) had potential. But the trouble is they REMAIN mysteries, of exactly the same kind, throughout. They're guns on the wall that are never fired. When we find out later (possibly not until months after first seeing the film) that they weren't real people after all but fictional characters springing from Michel's imagination, we have an explanation of sorts, but not one capable of justifying the film's thinness.

Some compare "Harry" to Hitchcock, others to Chabrol. Unfortunately it's more like the latter than the former: a competent but lugubrious going through the motions that ought to be more exciting than it is.

Don't you wish you had a friend just like Harry?! Well, maybe not...

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 25 October 2015]

When the film begins, Michel is in the hot car with his wife and three small kids. It's summer and there's no air conditioning...and it's not surprising the kids are behaving like brats and Michel is at his wit's ends. When the family stops for a break, Michel goes to the bathroom and there an old acquaintance, Harry, recognizes him...though Michel cannot recall the guy. It seems that Harry is a major fan of Michel and has lots of fond memories of the guy...and Michel is just dumbfounded. Despite this, when Harry invites himself and his girlfriend to their home, Michel agrees and they all have a lovely evening together.

During this evening, Harry inexplicably recalls a poem that Michel wrote when he was a teen. Despite decades having passes, he even remembers this poem word-for-word and Harry decides to take on a new project--to get Michel to begin writing once again. While this seems like a laudable goal, it soon gets strange. First, Harry decides that the hot car isn't what a writer needs and when it breaks down, he impulsively buys Michel and his family a new SUV with air conditioning!! Given that they barely know each other, this is very strange. Second, Harry isn't about to stop at just buying his old colleague a car...he'll remove all the distractions from Michel's life...whatever they might be!

This is a very dark and enjoyable film. It's also, in a sick way, a bit of a comedy. Fortunately, it's unique and keeps your attention- -and it's well worth seeing--especially for the strange yet satisfying ending. The film is taut, unusual and well written.

Touches of greatness but...

[fferraez · 7/10 · 14 November 2001]

... a disappointing ending. This film is full of terrific acting and the atmosphere is an exercise in style with outstanding results. Sometimes, the movie reminded me of "Psycho" and "The Shinning". Where did it go wrong? The bad ending... is like putting some water on fire, but it never boils. Could've been a classic, anyway... you get an unforgettable movie.

Ersatz Hitchcock.

[the red duchess · 5/10 · 5 December 2000]

'Harry' is a portrait of a marriage. Reviewers have pointed out the film's debt to Hitchcock - why do people always call films which 'borrow' the superficials (plot, music, characters, set-pieces etc.) Hitchcockian, when his true inheritors are directors like Godard and Marker? - but his oeuvre only contains two notable films about marriage, 'The Man who knew too much' and 'The Wrong Man'. These films show marriage cracking under the strain of some exterior threat.

'Harry' begins with a marriage already at crisis point - symbolically confined in an old car without air conditioning, driving towards a delapidated country house, young children bawling, mother unable to do anything, father getting increasingly frustrated, all seat-belted for greater entrapment. I remember it well. Laurent Lucas is the new Francois Cluzot, the grim, unhappy, modern man conspired against by circumstances that are not melodramatic, but everyday; financial, parents, frustrated ambitions etc.

If this is Hitchcock, it is a French version as mediated by Chabrol - there is the same contrast between the artificiality of the plot and the natural surroundings that stage it. This opening of a car, a family, classical music, the drive to a summer retreat, the intrusions of two strangers, remind me of another recent European thriller, Haneke's 'Funny Games'.

The film borrows from a lot of Hitchcockian sources - 'The Man who knew too much', 'Vertigo', 'Psycho', 'The Trouble with Harry' (in reverse), especially 'Strangers on a train' - Harry's character is sometimes more Highsmith than Hitchcock, a mixture of Tom Ripley and Dickie (here it is the rich man who wants to belong with the less well-off).

The meeting of Michel and Harry is signalled with HItchcockian criss-cross; ominously, in a public lavatory. There is a sense of magic or fairy tale here, as the two characters and their reflections reunite and fragment at the same time, suggesting a transformation scene, a switching of personalities and identities. It is at the moment when Michel feels most exasperation (and the need for gender security, in the male toilets) that Harry turns up, suggesting that he is Michel's double, an expression of his unconscious desires, somebody who will do what he wouldn't dare. This is the 'transference of guilt' narrative beloved of Hitchcock, one which found its purest expression in 'STrangers'.

There are some reasons why this contrivance does not carry the same weight here. Firstly, both characters are unpleasant and unlikely to win much audience support - 'STrangers' is so disturbing because the good guy is so cold, ruthless and unsympathetic, while the baddie seems vulnerable, and his motives are comprehensible. There are occasional attempts to suggest Harry's demons, as he screams in silence like a Francis Bacon painting. Michel, while never likable, is not calculating enough to provide an effective contrast. This blunts the transference of guilt - it is his wife, Claire, who resents his parents, who wishes for a bigger car etc. She also bears the film's misogyny, perhaps Hitchcockian, as she shows no sympathy towards her husband's creative endeavours (an attempt to regain childhood?), but as this only surfaces in the last ten minutes, it denies the plot frisson.

In the half-century since 'STrangers', Moll is still coy about homosexuality; although he never shows the much-alluded to heterosexual act, and engineers a number of encounters where a near-naked Harry and Michel discuss sexual prowess (to the point where Harry's eggs of virility become agent of Michel's creative fertility), there is no real sexual charge between them, making Harry look like a pervert trying to destroy the family, rather than showing a family stifling such urges in Michel. Hitchcock is more sympathetic to his lonely gays. He is also superior at creating narrative and suspense - Moll never makes his contrivances seem inevitable or plausible as his Master does, and after half an hour his film is slow-burning without becoming tense or exciting. The hallucinations and heavy ironies of the final quarter don't help.

Fine Graduation Piece from French Hitchcock Student

[Philby-3 · 20 November 2000]

I'm surprised there aren't more comments about this film, because it is a truly excellent piece of entertainment in the cinema of menace genre. Ordinary guy Michel (Laurent Lucas), hot and bothered while taking his family on a summer vacation, meets up with Harry, a former schoolfriend (Sergi Lopez), who he doesn't remember, and who seems to be both rich and very solicitous of his welfare. When the family car breaks down, Harry buys them a new four-wheel drive (it seems that even the French have not escaped the sports utility craze). Clearly, there is something not healthy about Harry's interest but it takes a while for the real story to emerge, and there are some carefully observed and funny moments on the way.

It has been pointed out, and there are certainly signs, that Harry can be seen as the embodiment of some of Michel's darker feelings, particularly the feeling that the everyday demands of family life and work have prevented him from developing his talent as a writer. Michel also has a certain amount of resentment towards his parents, but the character of Harry grossly overreacts to Michel's `enemies' and in the end, of course it is Harry, the psychotic in all of us, who has to go.

The immediacy of the camera work puts us right in the picture, heightening the tension. There are a couple of scenes inside cars being driven on narrow mountain roads at night as scary as anything Hitchcock (obviously an influence on first-time director Dominik Moll) attempted, and the nearly 2 hours of running time passes very quickly. Great entertainment.

With a Friend Like Harry... (2000)

[RobertKnepperFan · 6/10 · 9 September 2005]

Director: Dominik Moll

Cast: Laurent Lucas, Sergi López, Mathilde Seigner

Hitchcock influenced tale that tells the story of Micheal(Laurent Lucas), a man who has a chance encounter with an old acquaintance named Harry from high school who insists that they catch up on old times. As it turns out Harry was a big fan of Micheal's writing in high school, but is dismayed to hear that he has since given up writing. Harry(Sergi López) then proceeds to "remove" everyone from Micheal's life that whom he deems a "distraction" so he can start writing again. This movie is good, but a little uneven because some scenes contain a good deal of suspense which in contrast makes others seem too boring and may make the viewer lose interest. Still a very interesting film that Hitchcock would probably enjoy. Recommended if you like Hitchcockesque suspense tales. 116 min.

Rated R for language, some violence, and brief nudity

Harry, a Friend That Nobody Needs

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 26 June 2016]

Michel (Laurent Lucas), his wife Claire (Mathilde Seigner) and their three little daughters Jeanne (Victoire de Koster), Sarah (Laurie Caminata) and Iris (Lorena Caminata) are traveling to their cottage in Switzerland to spend summer vacation. When they stop the car, Michel goes to the toilet and a man stares at him. Soon the man introduces himself as Harold "Harry" Balestoro (Sergi Lopez), who studied with Michel in high school and knows him very well. When Michel and his family go to their car, Harry parks his Mercedes Benz and introduces his fiancée Plum (Sophie Guillemin) to the couple and invites themselves to travel to Michel's house for a drink. Later her recalls by heart a poem written by Michel and shows that he was obsessed for Michel. Harry is surprised that Michel does not write anymore and tells that he is wealthy since he has inherited his father's investments. Michel and Claire are middle-class and are still repairing their cottage by themselves. Harry and Plum stay for the night in the guest room and in the morning, Harry gives a 4x4 V6 Pajero to his new friends. They do not accept but Michel needs to bring his parents to see their granddaughters and drives the truck. He brings his mother (Liliane Rovère) and his father (Dominique Rozan) that immediately recognizes Harry. He feels tension between Michel and Claire and his parents and Harry and Plum move to a nearby hotel. During the night, Harry decides to help his friend, showing that he is a psychopath that turns Michel's life upside down.

"Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien" is an impressive thriller with a lighthearted beginning that turns into a very dark story. In the release year (2000), the impact of this film was great, highlighting the top- notch direction and performances. Sergi Lopez in the role of a nice psychopath and the gorgeous Mathilde Seigner in the role of a mother with three annoying children are amazing. Presently this film is still excellent but more predictable especially if the viewer saw it once. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Harry Chegou para Ajudar" ("Harry Has Arrived to Help")

well made, acted and directed, but still somehow disappointing

[martynuk · 6/10 · 10 July 2001]

I went to see it base on a recommendation of a friend, who almost always gets it right for me. It is the kind of movie I like. It has all the right ingredients... And yet I left disappointed. Why? I have been trying to answer that question for the last couple of day. The answer (I think) is "for the same reason I did not like Eyes Wide Shut". I kept watching it and wondering "why did someone make this movie?". And it's not that every movie HAS to have a point - I have enjoyed many totally devoid of it, but it was missing so ... deliberately? And also it was FULL of symbols, most of which I either could not get, or they were plainly out of place and context. My recommendation - go and see it if anything to figure out what's wrong with it.

Not for everyone

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 13 September 2010]

And I'm not only talking about the main character, but for the movie as a whole. It is a black comedy, but as others have stated, it is more psychological (or dare I say "psychotic"?), rather than laugh out funny (as in Serial Lover for example).

But if you are in the mood and have a liking for movies like this, Harry will indeed "help" you, enjoy this experience. And although I was expecting this to be remade in America, I'm also not surprised that no one has touched that subject yet. It's pretty dark, creepy and twisted. So the question you have to ask yourself is plain and simple: Are you up for it or do you rather watch something lighter (in mood and comedy)?

Harry is here to send chills up your spine

[strangie · 7/10 · 21 February 2001]

The premise of this film is benign enough. It's a hot day, Michel, Claire and their three girls are off to their holiday house for a break. The car is not airconditioned, the kids are getting ratty and Michel and Claire have had just about enough. They pull into a petrol station and Michel bumps into an old high school friend, Harry and his girlfriend, Plum. Harry sees how frustrated Michel and Claire are and offers to drive them to their holiday house. The offer is taken up and Harry enters their lives.

The film takes a little while to establish the backgrounds, but once that is achieved it rolls merrily along its dark path. Harry's motto "is help out where ever possible" and he does it all with a smile. It's a wonderfully executed film, once you get comfortable you're jolted out of the comfort zone. It's a spine chilling tale.

With a friend like Harry, who needs family?

[nesfilmreviews · 8/10 · 8 August 2013]

An engrossing French psychological thriller with jet black sense of humor, Director Dominik Moll has only made one other feature film, but looks very much like someone who has spent a lifetime fine tuning and constructing psychological thrillers. Moll's "With a Friend Like Harry" is a nervy, successful reworking of Hitchcockian themes and devices, with particular attention to the allure of the sociopath.

On a hot day in a highway gas station men's room, a man Michel (Laurent Lucas), doesn't recognize a stranger who says they went to school together. His name is Harry, played by Sergi López. He suggests they have a drink, so he and his girlfriend follow Michel and his family to their summer place. Michel is amazed when Harry quotes from memory a poem Michel wrote in school. Harry thinks Michel is a great writer, and he's distressed that Michel hasn't written in years. Harry stays awhile, and sets out to eliminate distractions that might keep Michel from writing. The first thing Harry does for Michel--he buys him a new car despite Michel demanding that he does not. What a guy! However, this extraordinary act of kindness sets off a chain of events, and suspicious things begin to happen. Michel picks up a pen and Harry is gratified, but he's not finished being Michel's self-appointed patron.

From the moment Harry is introduced to us, director Dominik Moll manages to saddle you up with an uncomfortable feeling. As the story slowly burns, it all becomes more and more unsettling. The devastating occurrences this family will endure will come from someone they've already invited into their comfort zone. And by the time they start realizing that, it's too late--and bad is already getting worse.

Moll flushes develops the characterizations of the family members and their daily interactions, and wisely keeping things simple. While you start to recognize these subtleties, it enhances the awareness that Harry's abnormal behavior is seeping into the lives of these very normal people. Even in scenes where Harry is not featured, you keep him in mind, as his presence permeates, and saturates the storyline.

Lòpez strikes the right note with his performance -- carefully balancing between overtly friendly to just plain crazy. At no point does he go shamelessly over the top, nor does the film really feature any excessive outbursts of violence. The mild brilliance of this film, lies with the question as to what Harry's motivation is, and what the outcome of it all will be. An intriguing, fully-engrossing psychological thriller that takes us deep into a world where answers aren't always provided. In fact, we are never sure where the plot is leading us. Mysterious, suspenseful, and a devilish sense of humor. With a friend like Harry, who needs family?

Quite good, but not excellent

[philip_vanderveken · 7/10 · 3 April 2005]

I guess we've all once met someone who said that he knows you from I don't know where, while you absolutely can't remember the person's name or where you know him/her from. With "Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien" or "Harry Is Here to Help" the makers have based their story on exact such a situation.

When on a hot summers day, Michel and his family go on a trip to visit his parents in the south of France, they stop at a gas station near the highway. In the restroom, a man asks Michel if he doesn't recognize him anymore. He says he's Harry and that he once went to the same school as Michel. He suggests they have a drink, so he and his girlfriend follow Michel and his family to their summer house. So far nothing special, but when Harry is able to quote from memory a poem Michel wrote in school, Michel is very surprised. Harry appears to think that Michel is one of the greatest writers ever and can't understand why Michel doesn't write anymore. Harry tells him that he should start again, but that he has to get rid of all the "nuissances" (his wife, his kids, his parents,...) that will prevent him from writing excellent stories. When Michel hesitates, it's Harry who'll "help" him...

What I really liked about this movie was the dark humor, although I'm convinced that many people will not. Laughing with for instance murder, isn't exactly to everybody's taste, but personally I really liked it. And yet the entire movie didn't always convince me. Especially in the beginning it was never able to fully grab me. Only when the killing started, it had me completely in its power. I would say that the quality is quite good, but not excellent. The acting is OK, without excelling, I liked the humor and the story is nice (but only at its best in the end). Overall I would reward this movie with a 6.5/10. If you want to see a great dark European comedy, than I suggest you watch the Danish movie "De Grønne slagtere" (aka "The Green Butchers"). It's a lot better, but also a lot darker than this one.

A suprisingly good Hitchcock-esque film

[NightTrekker · 8/10 · 19 October 2003]

I've only seen a few French films, but the ones I've seen were very good. Maybe that's because my college acted as a film filter, choosing only remarkable foreign films to air, or maybe it's because it's a lot harder to get a piece-of-sh*t film green-lighted in France than it is here in the U.S. of A. (note: I'm not knocking American cinema by any stretch, but you've got to admit a lot gets released here that wouldn't see a second of screen time in other countries).

Anyway, "With a Friend Like Harry" was one of the good foreign films that the powers that be on campus chose to air, and man, am I glad they did. I'm not going to lie- I had never heard of this movie. I don't hear about many foreign movies as a general rule (unless of course they're sickeningly-sappy romantic comedies or thrillers), and that's deplorable, I know. I'm just happy that fate dropped this one into my lap.

I won't say much about the plot besides that it's strange, creative, and interesting. I saw this film with subtitles (and I don't even know if a dubbed version exists though I hope not), so I guess you could argue that I spent more time reading than I did watching the actors, but I thought everyone involved did a great job. Then film has a definite Hitchcock feel to it, and that's a very good thing in my book.

If you can get your hands on a copy of this (I'm still trying :( ), I would recommend picking it up. It's a weird, intelligent, unsettling, and entertaining movie, and I wish more of us in the States knew about it.

Vive Le Flying Monkeys!

[CHendri887 · 7/10 · 20 May 2001]

I enjoyed this film. Having read a couple of reviews before I went to see it, I'll have to agree with the critics who said Harry is dominated by a Hitchcock-like atmosphere. Like Hitchcock's films, there is comedy mingled with darkness. Also like Hitchcock's films, there is sort of melodramatic classical soundtrack. In addition, the mood throughout is suspenseful, as if something is always going to happen when Harry is around. The director maintained this suspese for the whole movie. I thought the dialgoue and acting were strong. All of the characters seemed very realistic and easy to empathize with. The only scene I found really implausible was the one with Plum and Michael in the bathroom near the end of the film. Michael's behavior in that scene just seemed inconsistent with everything else he had done so far. My favorite scenes in this film were the ones where Harry and various other characters are discussing Michael's old poems and short stories. I guess I can empathize since I was an English Literature major in college and dabbled a bit in writing. Long live The Flying Monkeys!

The Thriller That Doesn't Thrill

[goacher · 4/10 · 24 March 2005]

I do not understand why this film received the critical acclaim that it did. The references to Hitchcock seem to be a misleading front for the repetition of what is now a dated and unoriginal plot. I can sum it up in a few words: a guy meets an old schoolfriend by chance, the old schoolfriend seems unusually determined to get involved in the guy's life; the old schoolfriend turns out to be a maniac. It's a tired theme that's been repeated many times before, and this film doesn't stand out as doing it any better than others.

The whole basis of a good thriller is that its events are unpredictable. The fundamental problem with "Harry, He's Here To Help" is that it fails on this count. When well done, thrillers can provide hugely entertaining viewing. In their time, Hitchcock thrillers were excellent; this one is not. The comparison is inappropriate. Watch something else.