Wednesday Movie Night: The Intouchables (2011)

 I would say it's been a while that I've watched a movie that made me feel as genuinely good as this one did. There is a running time that does extend some scenes beyond what they need to be, so by the end I was feeling some forced emotions. This movie was led by two directors at the helm, Olivier Nakache and Eric Tolendano. The movie I think uses the advantage of two directors, and at times we feel the movie is giving us two perspectives from these two different men that are put together to learn from each other.

Summary: An aristocrat, Phillipe, is left paralyzed from the neck down after he had a paragliding accident. While he may have lost his confidence and ability to live as he once did, he hasn't lost his humor. He is looking to hire a person to be his caretaker, and when he meets Driss from the projects there is something about him that draws him in. Driss was just looking to have him sign his paper though so he could get unemployed benefits. When he is offered the job as caretaker he is shocked, but takes it and the lavish lifestyle it gives. The two though will change each other's lives more than they expected.


Acting: While I'm not familiar with the French actors who lead the film, I will say this was a remarkable introduction to Omar Sy and Francois Cluzet. The two really seemed like friends, and though Cluzet is not paralyzed I thought he conveyed the emotions very well as if he was. Sy has great humor that translated well to the given situation too. The Intouchables ultimately turned out to be a lot more humorous than I expected just because of how the two actors weaved in the jokes that really could be inside jokes to include the audience as well. They are able to give us such character development that even jokes that couldn't be funny outside of them are funny to us. Cluzet looks so much like Dustin Hoffman so that was difficult for me to shake.

Filming: There are some really beautiful moments to the movie. Perhaps, most memorable of all is the scene where Driss is driving Phillipe like a daredevil down a tunnel. The scene captures the night and lighting well, and it's a great scene to think back on in retrospect. This isn't a movie that you may remember many scenes from, but more so the emotion that came from certain scenes. The directors just had a way of capturing the two that brings back a lot of feelings when we think of the story.

Plot: The plot is one that is based on a true story. How much of it is true I couldn't tell you. If you're not into films that are emotionally feel good then you might have to force through bits, but there was something about this movie that just felt more genuine to watch. The soundtrack is well placed, and the humor takes away the sappiness. It's a soundtrack that was stuck in my head after watching. I think what helps is that it seems the writers had a passion for the story, and the actors were having fun portraying it.

The Intouchables is one movie that is understated, and probably one of the best foreign movies I've seen. Yes, it is a feel good movie, but there is something about the characters that keeps it real, and I think that is because the characters don't always follow the high road of conduct. The actors seem on the same page with one another, and there is energy that will make you sad and happy at times. It's a friendship that is worth watching.

Rating 9 of 10