Cast: Laurent Lucas, Sergi Lopez, Mathilde Seigner, Sophie Guillemin
Director: Dominik Moll
Producer: Michel Saint-Jean
Screenplay: Gilles Marchand, Dominik Moll
Cinematography: Matthieu Poirot-Delpech
Music: David Sinclair Whitaker
U.S. Distributor: Miramax Zoë
In French with subtitles
For American audiences, who have become conditioned to certain staples and formulas defining the structure of nearly every mainstream psychological thriller, With a Friend Like Harry may seem like a breath of fresh air. It isn't that director Dominik Moll wanders too far from familiar territory, but the manner in which he crafts the movie allows him to reject (or at least deviate from) many of the most common clichés. Consequently, With a Friend Like Harry is a more energetic and interesting entry than what one has come to expect from this overpopulated genre.
In terms of its antecedents, With a Friend Like Harry owes less of a debt to recent thrillers (like The Hand that Rocks the Cradle and its brood) than to the collected work of Alfred Hitchcock. Moll pays homage to Hitchcock in ways that are sometimes subtle (characters' names being the same as those of principals in the Master of Suspense's films) and sometimes obvious (aspects of the plot recall those of Strangers on a Train). And, like Hitchcock, Moll peppers his picture with elements of dark and delicious wit.
For Michel (Laurent Lucas) and Claire (Mathilde Seigner), the annual family summer vacation is starting off like a nightmare - the car is not air conditioned, the baby is screaming, and the kids are misbehaving. By the time they reach a rest stop, the long hours in the car have taken their toll. There, in the men's room, Michel meets Harry (Sergi Lopez), a guy he hasn't seen in 20 years. Michel doesn't remember Harry, but Harry definitely remembers Michel. In almost no time, Harry has invited himself and his girlfriend, Plum (Sophie Guillemin), for a drink at Michel and Claire's. At first, Harry is the perfect guest - offering to help out with chores and even buying Michel and Claire a new car. But there's a darker side to Harry - his interest in Michel runs deeper than is healthy, expanding into the realm of obsession. On the evidence of one juvenile poem written decades ago, Harry believes that Michel has the potential to be a great writer, and that his talent should be nurtured, regardless of the price.
Hitchcock's body of work isn't the only thing recalled by With a Friend Like Harry. Astute viewers may recognize a connection to the 1988 black comedy/thriller, Heathers. Both films feature a friend who helps eliminate the protagonist's problems via murder, and, in the process, gains the witting or unwitting complicity of the hero. The details are different, but many of the motivating themes are identical. In addition, the movies embrace the same gallows humor.
Moll has fun toying with audience expectations. Several of the murders, which would be the centerpieces of similar American films, occur off-screen. On at least two occasions, there is enough ambiguity about what actually happens that it's possible to construct entirely different versions of the event. And, by constructing the ending the way he does, Moll is able to play with us while still presenting a conclusion that is satisfying and offers a sense of closure.
As is almost always true of French films, the acting is top-notch. In the title role, Sergi Lopez (recently seen in An Affair of Love) manages the perfect balance between being a good-natured sap and a creepy, obsessed stalker. Laurent Lucas is rather bland - but that's by intent. Michel is supposed to be a passive individual and Lucas nails that portrayal. Mathilde Seigner has the rather thankless role of the long-suffering wife, and voluptuous Sophie Guillemin makes her presence known as Harry's impossible-to-ignore girlfriend, a role she plays with unimpeachable aplomb.
With a Friend Like Harry has received plaudits everywhere it has been shown, in large part because Moll avoids the fatal trap into which a majority of thrillers fall - underestimating the audience's intelligence. With a Friend Like Harry boasts a smart script that isn't overwhelmed by needless contrivances and implausible twists. This is the kind of motion picture that, if he was still alive, Alfred Hitchcock would almost certainly have given his approval to.
© 2001 James Berardinelli