HARRY, HE'S HERE TO HELP

France, 2000, 117 minutes, Colour.
Laurent Lucas, Sergei Lopez, Mathilde Seigner, Sophie Guillemin.
Directed by Dominik Moll.

Harry, He's Here To Help is a very interesting psychological thriller. All the critics pointed to the origins of this kind of story in Hitchcock's version of Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train where a seemingly genial friend wants to take on the murders of people that his alleged friend would like out of the way. Here, Harry is a rich man, travelling with a dumb young woman called Plum, who claims association with Michel from school. Whether this is true or not is hard to tell. However, he is able to quote Michel's poems, talk about incidents that happened at school. Once he ingratiates himself into the company of Michel and his wife Claire as they go on a holiday with their daughters, he tends to take over.

The film turns sinister when he actually murders the parents of Michel as well as killing his brother. Things come to a head, there is an obvious confrontation between Michel and Harry. He buries him in the garden - and, it is hoped, everything returns to normal.

While the plot may seem in some ways obvious, it is nevertheless treated with great panache. Laurent Lucas is effectively bewildered as the would-be writer who is affected by Harry's friendship and then dismayed at its consequences. Sergei Lopez is excellent as the ingratiating Harry, a mixture of charm and violent madness.

Director Dominik Moll went on to make a thriller, Who Killed Bambi, with a hospital setting and again starring Laurent Lucas.

1. The critical acclaim for the film? The harking back to Hitchcock films like Strangers on a Train, Fatal Attraction_? The absorbing of these influences into a fresh look at a bewildering friendship?

2. The title, the focus on Harry, his relationship with Michel? The irony of his help - and the gifts that he showers on Michel and the final gift of murdering all those who stand in the way of his creativity?

3. The French settings, the countryside, the service station (and the first meeting with the filming with the mirrors)? The countryside and the roads, night and day? Friendly and sinister? The holiday house, its being repaired, the furnishings, the pink bathroom? The supermarkets? The blend of the ordinary and the sinister? The musical score?

4. The establishing of Michel and Claire as the young married couple, the plans for the holiday? The initial drive and the ordinary tensions and happiness in a family going on holidays?

5. The service station, the irony of Michel meeting Harry, Harry and his ebullient friendship, the fact that they were at school together? His harking back to memories which Michel does not quite share? The focus on Michel's writing, his poem which Harry knows off by heart and recites? The science fiction story of the monkeys?

6. Harry, his screen presence, friendship, charm? His travelling with Plum? Plum and her age, youth, sexiness? The relationship with Harry? Their insisting that the children drive with them back to the holiday house?

7. The house, its appointments, the renovations, the tools? The scenes of Michel and his work in the house?

8. Harry and Plum staying the night, the meals? Claire and her friendliness but wariness? Harry and the children? The shopping, the car breaking down, Harry and the lift - and buying the jeep? Claire's dismay and her reaction to Michel? Harry and his insisting that it be just a gift?

9. Michel's parents, the memories of the home, their coming to visit, meeting Harry? Harry and Plum moving out to a hotel? Harry and his attitudes towards the parents? The phone call, their driving, his pushing them off the road, their deaths? The effect on Michel, grief and disbelief?

10. Michel's brother Eric turning up, a vagrant, mocking Michel's poems? Visit to the house, his grief? Incurring Harry's wrath, especially about the poems? His hiding the body in the boot of the car - and the irony of people going to the boot and his trying to stop them seeing the corpse?

11. Claire and her growing antagonism towards Harry? Sympathy towards Plum? The interactions, the conversations? The final night, Harry and his insinuation that Michel had insulted Plum, saying she had no brains? Michel and his being upset, going to Plum, explaining the situation to her? Her death, its brutality? Michel and his discovery of Harry, disposing of the body?

12. The overall impact of Harry, his friendship, memories, urging him to write? The final straw when Harry suggests that Claire and the family are holding him back? That they should be killed? Harry giving Michel the knife, Michel killing Harry instead? Spending the night burying him in the garden?

13. The effect of Harry on Michel's creativity, his poem, getting out his short story, going to the bathroom, trying to write, reading it to Claire? Did he have talent or not?

14. Psychological understanding of the relationship between Michel and Harry? The suggestions that Harry was a projection of Michel's alter-ego, the more violent and wild Michel? The catalyst for releasing creativity?

15. Harry's death and disappearance, the family together again - and their hopes for a quiet future?