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Directed
by Dominik Moll
Writing credits: Gilles Marchand and Dominik Moll
Poem: Francis Villain ("Un poniard dans le peau de nuit")
Laurent
Lucas .... Michel
Sergi López .... Harold "Dick" Balest. (Harry)
Mathilde Seigner .... Claire
Sophie Guillemin .... Plum
Liliane Rovère .... Mother
Dominique Rozan .... Father
Michel Fau .... Eric
Victoire de Koster .... Jeanne
Laurie Caminata .... Sarah
Lorena Caminata .... Iris
Produced
by Michel Saint-Jean
Original music by David Sinclair Whitaker
Cinematography by Matthieu Poirot-Delpech
Film Editing by Yannick Kergoat
Rated
R for language, some violence and a scene of nudity.
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WITH
A FRIEND LIKE HARRY is a silently terrifying psychological thriller
that builds from a sedate family story into a suspenseful horror
scenario with the use of smart, spine-tingling dialogue and simple
acts of manipulation. There is almost no violence in the film, and
the shock value is minimal. Instead, the film relies on the piercing
reality of the story it tells, on the intuition of its viewers,
and on good old scared-of-the-dark fear.
In
the frenzied heat of midsummer, a family--Michel (Laurent Lucas)
and Claire (Mathilde Seigner) and their three small daughters--are
taking their summer vacation. Michel teaches French and Japanese
in Paris, while Claire is overworked with the responsibility of
raising the three little girls. Much in need of a some relaxing
time off, the family retreats to the secluded stone country house
they bought a few years back. Though they have been working hard
to restore the place, it has a few minor hazards that need fixing--such
the deep, empty well hidden in the back yard. However, before the
family even arrives at the house, they encounter Harry Ballestero
(Sergi Lopez), an acquaintance of Michel's, at a rest stop off of
the auto route. Harry and Michel were both at the same school, in
Berthollet, in 1979. Though Michel doesn't quite remember Harry,
Harry remembers Michel with intense clarity. Harry can recite from
memory the poetry Michel wrote for the school journal, and treats
Michel like a brother. So begins the family's odd relationship with
the smilingly intense Harry and his flaky girlfriend, Plum (Sophie
Guillemin), who impose themselves on the family with suffocating
congeniality.
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