Jürgen: Did you like this film better than Harry?
Marcy: I did. You can see Moll growing as a filmmaker. He is playing with the same themes, marriage and family and the happy suburban life, the horror that lurks beneath.
Jürgen: ...and how can you defend yourself against bitterness, cynicism, and your own unsatisfied desires.
Marcy: This film is also much more complex than Harry. Riskier and harder to understand.
Jürgen: You compared it to Mulholland Drive.
Marcy: Yes. The Naomi Watts character and Charlotte Gainsbourg have a lot in common. What you see at first is not what you get.
Jürgen: There's a lot more to be said about that, but we wanted to keep this spoiler-free. I have this pet theory about Harry, and Lemming only confirms my suspicions.
Marcy: Can you share your theory?
Jürgen: Well, you can watch With A Friend Like Harry and see Harry as an imaginary character, as Laurent Lucas's imaginary friend. His worst impulses made flesh. He does everything Lucas's character is too afraid to do. Harry seems to be a realistic film but you can watch it as a psychological allegory. Does that make sense? Or is that eggheaded and boring?
Marcy: I did. You can see Moll growing as a filmmaker. He is playing with the same themes, marriage and family and the happy suburban life, the horror that lurks beneath.
Jürgen: ...and how can you defend yourself against bitterness, cynicism, and your own unsatisfied desires.
Marcy: This film is also much more complex than Harry. Riskier and harder to understand.
Jürgen: You compared it to Mulholland Drive.
Marcy: Yes. The Naomi Watts character and Charlotte Gainsbourg have a lot in common. What you see at first is not what you get.
Jürgen: There's a lot more to be said about that, but we wanted to keep this spoiler-free. I have this pet theory about Harry, and Lemming only confirms my suspicions.
Marcy: Can you share your theory?
Jürgen: Well, you can watch With A Friend Like Harry and see Harry as an imaginary character, as Laurent Lucas's imaginary friend. His worst impulses made flesh. He does everything Lucas's character is too afraid to do. Harry seems to be a realistic film but you can watch it as a psychological allegory. Does that make sense? Or is that eggheaded and boring?
Marcy: No, that makes perfect sense. In Lemming, Charlotte Rampling has a haunting presence throughout the film even when she is not onscreen.
Jürgen: We didn't talk about the fact that both of Moll's movies have silly flying contraptions with rotors in them.
Marcy: Or mention the mysterious neighbors, or the vet who keeps showing up unannounced. It would also be unfair not to talk about André Dussollier, who plays Charlotte Rampling's husband. He is so righteous in his immorality it borders on the hilarious.
Jürgen: I wanted to brag about catching the nods to Kubrick and Hitchcock. It makes me want to go back and see what I missed.
Marcy: This film is without a doubt a top ten pick of the year. 129 minutes long and never dull, never a scene without a surprise.
Jürgen: Yes, I would be amazed if this didn't end up on my top ten list for 2006. Next time we do this, we should pick a movie we disagree on vehemently.
Marcy: This is a mutual rave review.
Jürgen: I'm sure there will be people who wished the whole thing made more sense in the end, explain itself more tidily.
Marcy: There is a tidy ending, but if you ask me, that's deceptive.
Jürgen: We didn't talk about the fact that both of Moll's movies have silly flying contraptions with rotors in them.
Marcy: Or mention the mysterious neighbors, or the vet who keeps showing up unannounced. It would also be unfair not to talk about André Dussollier, who plays Charlotte Rampling's husband. He is so righteous in his immorality it borders on the hilarious.
Jürgen: I wanted to brag about catching the nods to Kubrick and Hitchcock. It makes me want to go back and see what I missed.
Marcy: This film is without a doubt a top ten pick of the year. 129 minutes long and never dull, never a scene without a surprise.
Jürgen: Yes, I would be amazed if this didn't end up on my top ten list for 2006. Next time we do this, we should pick a movie we disagree on vehemently.
Marcy: This is a mutual rave review.
Jürgen: I'm sure there will be people who wished the whole thing made more sense in the end, explain itself more tidily.
Marcy: There is a tidy ending, but if you ask me, that's deceptive.
