Review of With a Friend Like Harry... (2000) by Madeline S — 04 Nov 2006

[color=#000000]When we first meet Harry, he seems no different than you or me. He's a stranger, but one that's no stranger than any of us. He's the kind of guy that would help you out with your finances or slip an extra twenty to the waiter who spilled his wine. Harry has an unbelievable generosity, and sometimes it comes off a little creepy. But since when was there anything wrong with being nice?[/color].

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[color=#000000]The French thriller With a Friend Like Harry works off of the notion that people are unpredictable, and to underestimate what you know about someone could prove to be fatal. The movie begins with Michel (Laurent Lucas), his wife Claire (Mathilde Seigner) and their two daughters on vacation. As the kids get restless in the unbearably hot car, Michel decides to pull over to a rest stop to get some air. In the restroom, he meets Harry (Sergi Lopez), who greets Michel as an old high school friend. But Michel doesn't recall knowing anyone named Harry. It seems strange then, that Harry knows about a poem that Michel wrote in high school and about a former girlfriend that Michel had years ago. Harry, being the friendly guy that he is, invites Michel and his family to join them for dinner. Michel agrees, still wondering who this guy is and how he knows him. [/color][color=#000000]But the two seem nice enough, and Michel agrees to let Harry and his wife Plum (Sophie Guillemin) stay with them in their cottage for a few days.[/color].

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[color=#000000]The bulk of the movie is about how the relationship between Harry and Michel develops. The simple, harmless plot soon turns psychological as Harry begins to intrude on Michel's personal life. The interesting thing about this is that Harry means well. In fact, his intentions are anything but menacing. I was intrigued by such subtle storytelling, since most American thrillers are driven by action, not character. [/color].

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[color=#000000]And that's what the movie is: character. There isn't much action to be seen. Instead, we see the contemplation of it. The movie treats suspense like most thrillers treat action scenes, creating tension in place of mindless energy. [/color].

[color=#000000]That the characters are so real are because of the script by Gilles Marchand and Director Dominik Moll. They've written a character study, not a traditional thriller.[/color] [color=#000000]As Michel and Harry become closer, they don't necessarily become enemies, just influences on one-another. By the time the story comes to a close, the two men have changed one-another.[/color].

[color=#000000]As Harry, Sergi Lopez creates an antagonist that mirrors the average man. The most effective aspect of the movie is how creepily average Harry is. He's a middle-class citizen, not a genre caricature. None of his behavior is unbelievably evil, since the things he does are, to him, in everyone's best interest. This makes Harry much more threatening than a crazed sociopath or a mad bomber. [/color].

[color=#000000]With a Friend Like Harry is a rare kind of thriller. Watching it, I didn't suspend my disbelief or shake my head in impossibility. The movie defies these conventions through solid writing and subtle performances. After it was over, I realized how real a thriller could be, and how common men like Harry really are. [/color].

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