Boy Did That Kid Need A Huge Dose Of Ritalin Or What ??

Phillipe was simply desperate to do anything or say anything that would prevent the police from taking Baines away from him. Bobby's interpretation of this desperation in wonderful to see. This was real love and devotion. Baines couldn't appreciate just how much Phillipe loved him. Even when he discovers that all Baines' stories about his heroic past in Africa are all just so much hot air, he is very disappointed, but still loves him. You couldn't help but feel sorry for poor little Phile, as he had been lied to by Baines, a man whom he idolised, but who turned out to have feet of clay. It must be the dearest wish of many a man, to be so loved and idolised by a boy like Phillipe. If it had ever happened to me, I would know what a precious thing it is to have a boy like that devoted to me. I would never have done anything to hurt him and I would never have told him lies about myself. Unlike a grown up, when a boy like Phile tells you he loves you, you know it's true and such a love and devotion must be respected.

There's no doubt that Phillipe loved Baines, but unfortunately, to Baines, Phillipe was just the son of his employer whom he had to be nice to as part of his job. This kind of one sided relationship is very evident in the scenes of the trip to London Zoo. Baines is supposed to be taking Phillipe to the zoo, but Phillipe ends up wandering about the zoo on his own, because Baines and Julie want to be left alone together and they just ignore Phillipe until it's time to go back to the Embassy. Unrequited love is a concept that is hard for an eight year old understand. For Phillipe, he loved Baines and therefore Baines must love him too.

I agree. His father had little time for him and so for Philipe, Baines, in effect, became the father his own father should have been.