Harry un ami qui vous veut du bien (2000)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Dominik Moll

Writers:

Dominik Moll (scenario) and
Gilles Marchand (scenario) ...

Release Date:

15 August 2000 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Who needs enemies?

Plot:

Harry knew Michel in high school; they meet again by accident, Harry inserts himself in Michel's life... and things take a sinister turn.

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Writing | New Car | Psychopath | Poetry

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 7 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Laurent Lucas	...	Michel
Sergi López	...	Harry (as Sergi Lopez)
Mathilde Seigner	...	Claire
Sophie Guillemin	...	Prune (Plum)
Liliane Rovère	...	Mother
Dominique Rozan	...	Father
Michel Fau	...	Eric
Victoire de Koster	...	Jeanne
Laurie Caminata	...	Sarah
Lorena Caminata	...	Iris

Also Known As:

Harry, He's Here to Help (International: English title) (UK) (original subtitled version)
Harry Is Here to Help (USA)
With a Friend Like Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien (USA) (complete title)
With a Friend Like Harry... (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violence and a scene of nudity.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Mexico:B | New Zealand:M | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Château Hôtel Mont-Royal, La Chapelle-en-Serval, Oise, France

Company:

Canal+

Quotes:

[on how to deal with difficult parents]
Harry Ballestero: You have to overreact.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Making of 'Harry un ami qui vous veut du bien' (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

Ramona

Still Moments

The thing I appreciated most about this movie was the still moments, so unlike the average bombastic Hollywood product that never has a stop-and-listen moment, a stop-and-consider moment or a stop-and-feel moment. (Ever notice in American movies of the last ten years, even when the characters are stopping to think --rare as THAT is-- there is a veritable tempest of Wagnerian bluster on the sound track. Mainstream movies have gotten to where they never, NEVER shut up and let up, even for a moment; you must be manipulated every second you are in the theater. I walk out of "intense" movies, not exhausted, but rather, quite vexed by the hammy, heavy-handed obviousness of it all. --And a little deafened, usually, besides.)

There was nothing obvious in this film. At the end, you feel closure, and yet you are free to wonder at exactly what Harry's behavior meant and about the origins of his unique world-view. That is a thing to treasure, a movie that knows enough what it is about to offer closure, yet leave your mind free to wander over the relationships and lives of the people you have just watched briefly from a distance, and reflect on possible meanings.

A wonderful film.