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Do you remember Harpo Marx-lookalike James Harries, the child
genius who appeared regularly on TV chat shows in the 80s
and early 90s? Billed as a child prodigy, he astonished the
nation with his apparently encyclopaedic knowledge of antiques,
and his love of good manners, and even spoke of plans to become
Prime Minister. Whatever happened to him? This DVD tracks
down Harries and his family. At first sight, they may seem
to be a house full of geniuses, but although every single
member has a PhD, we soon discover that some were purchased
from a fake university in the USA, while the others were awarded
to them by themselves. Nevertheless, their walls are dotted
with these certificates, degrees, and awards - all of them
100% fake...
Little
Lady Fauntleroy is one of the funniest documentaries I
have ever watched - and certainly one that deserves your attention.
Tracking
down the Harries's can't have been that hard - it soon becomes
apparent that they are media whores who can't stay out of
the limelight for more than five minutes. Forget the fact
that James is now Lauren that's relatively run-of-the-mill
when other things are uncovered.
Keith
Allen obviously had very little idea what he was letting himself
in for when he started filming this documentary. And you can
see this disbelief on his face as he accompanies Lauren to
her business - she runs her own acting class; goes to a karaoke
evening with her; and discovers that none of the families
numerous certificates (including BAs and PhDs) are actually
for real.
Allen
also starts to chip away at Lauren's earlier life as James
the child prodigy who was a semi-regular guest on Wogan.
Seen as a child genius and expert on antiques, it is soon
uncovered that this was all a front too. In fact, Allen takes
Lauren to an antique dealers to get her expert opinion on
a few items. Of course she gets it totally wrong.
In
fact, this whole segment reminded me of an Alan Partridge
guest in the first year of his spoof radio series. Simon Fisher,
child prodigy and his dad. In that interview Simon's dad was
a no one and was living his dreams through his son - it was
him that really wanted to be noticed. In much the same way
it is Lauren's mother who obviously wears the trousers, and
it soon starts to feel as though she has put Lauren up to
everything - that it is her that wants a media career so badly
and his living it through her daughter.
Like
Allen, you won't be able to comprehend the lies, bare faced
cheek and self-deluded fantasy world that the Harries's seem
to live in. Their mock Tudor semi-detached house on the edge
of a council estate says everything you need to know about
this madder than toast family.
The
whole thing is not unlike watching a really bad car crash
in slow motion. You know everything is going from bad to worse,
and all you can do is sit and watch until it's all over with
a feeling of dread in your stomach.
The
conclusion will make you stand up and applaud Allen as he
confronts the Harries's with his findings and loses his cool
when they refuse to admit that they are fraudsters. Maybe,
in retrospect, Allen should have played it a little more cool.
Sure the family are the world's worst liars, but Allen would
have looked a lot more professional if he'd argued his case
rationally. Instead he shouts them down - the tactics of someone
who usually has no idea how to communicate their point of
view effectively.
Extras
include numerous deleted scenes and an audio commentary that
I discovered by accident - it's not accessible from any of
the DVD's menus. Sadly not a lot is made of the commentary.
Allen admits that he was deliberately kept in the dark about
the Harries's as the director didn't really want to go in
their with any real agenda other than to see what Lauren was
up to now.
This
is one DVD that you'll be recommending to family and friends
for years to come. You have to buy this!
 
Darren
Rea
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