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Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien

This is one of the French films that I liked. The strange mixture of genres makes it hard to determine but it is not a thriller. In imdb it is even called a comedy. It is definitely not a comedy. It is a drama. A good life drama.

At the beginning of the film we see a moving car with crying children. The family of young parents with three girls go for vacation. It seems that the young couple: Michel and Claire are not quite satisfied with their life but in fact they are in a gut. On their way Michel unexpectedly meets his old school friend Harry whom he does not remember. Harry, however, remembers him very well and remember the facts that Michel himself forgot. Soon Harry and his fiancée Prune join Michel's family and they travel together. Little did they know what this strange friend was like. For example Harry remembers that Michel wrote poems at school, which Harry liked immensely. Harry recites it by heart at the supper and surprises everyone.

Michel is embarrassed. He does not want to do anything with it anymore. But it seems that Harry is determined to put him back to writing again. He knows that Michel began to write a novel and Harry want him to finish it. Michel resists. Harry buys him a new auto, tries to help with whatever he can. But gradually the relations between Harry and Michel become cooler in spite of all Harry's efforts. But Harry is determined to help…

Critics wrote about Hitchcock reminiscences in this movie but in fact there are not much. The film does not accentuate on horror or violence. It rather show the relations among different people. It describe a situation that can happen to everyone. Indeed everyone can meet a “friend” that he does not remember, a friend who become an unwanted influence that one can't get rid of. And when he realises what lies beneath all this friendship it is not easy to find a solution. Michel found his own and it is difficult not to justify it.

The film depicts brilliantly the family life of a young couple with kids. They are not quite happy but they love each other and try to improve their life. The film shows Michel in relation to his parents, to his wife and children and to Harry and his fiancée.

The actors play wonderfully. Laurent Lucas as Michel is brilliant as a man exhausted with work, fatigued with the mode of life he has but realizing his responsibilities. He is a good son and an excellent husband. Mathilde Seigner as Claire is very good too. By the way she is a sister of Emmanuelle Seigner and the similarity of their features is striking. Sergi Lopez as Harry is not bad but I think Lucas played much better and a more difficult role. Sophie Guillemin as Prune is exactly right. Other actors are also good.

The camera travels from face to face and seldom shows groups of faces. Its movements are calm but you can feel a gradual increase of tension. Some scenes like the meeting in the bathroom is excellent. The whole thing is not concentrated on intrigues but rather on psychological aspects.

So it is a good movie if you like psychological drama. The film is a marvellous performance that deserves all the praise.

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