By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Eric Toledano | Olivier Nakache
Starring: Anne Le Ny | Audrey Fleurot | Christian Ameri | Clotide Mollet | Dorothée Brière | François Cluzet | Omar Sy
Original language title: Intouchables
Country: france
Year: 2012
Running time: 112
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1675434/
Bruce says: “THE INTOUCHABLES has been a box office sensation in France. It also has received high enough ratings to currently rank #78 on IMDb’s top 250 films. Fortunately I knew very little about the film beforehand so I arrived at the screening in a neutral zone in terms of expectations. ‘Based on a true story’ can often be a red flag, leading one to believe that if it were pure fiction it well may not have made the journey past the script reading stage in the development process. In the case of THE INTOUCHABLES, knowing that the film is reality based enhanced my pleasure. Comparisons to THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY Intouchables are unavoidable. Both stories involve men who are paralyzed but unlike the protagonist in DIVING BELL, Philippe (François Cluzet) is not terminally ill and can speak. My one slight objection to the film is the flash forward sequence at the very beginning. I think it detracts more than adds; the film is strong enough to let the story unfold in a more traditional way.
“Philippe, a wealthy widower, has become a quadriplegic as a result of a paragliding accident. He is understandably bitter and irascible, full of self-pity. He treats all his home care workers shabbily. Driss (Omar Sy), a Senegalese immigrant, has just spent several months in jail unbeknownst to his family who thinks he has deserted them on a whim. After jail, the state demands he attempt to find a job and sends him to Philippe’s apartment where he sits in a lavish waiting area confidently knowing that his impertinence will get him off the hook as a home care provider. When he appears before Philippe, his insolence attracts Philippe. He tells Philippe he likes Kool and the Gang. When Philippe asks Driss about Berlioz, Driss speaks of the housing projects by the same name. Driss steps forward to get his rejection slip signed and is shocked to learn he is hired. ‘I bet you won’t last two weeks,’ Philippe tells him.
“As luck would have it, it’s a match made in heaven. Driss’ joie de vivre is just what Philippe needs to regain interest in life; Philippe teaches Driss about his value and place in a society that overlooks the uneducated with the underlying assumption that the uneducated class lacks intelligence. Inexperience does not imply stupidity. When Philippe takes Driss to a performance of The Magic Flute, Driss laughs hysterically at Papageno,. ‘He thinks he’s a tree.’ Other opera-goers are not amused but Philippe gets the out-of-context perspective. Driss’ biggest contribution, however, is the encouragement he gives Philippe to pursue an epistolary romance. Driss knows how to deal with affairs of the heart; he is naturally flirtatious, hitting on every woman who crosses his path.
“Driss’ home life is complicated. He is much needed there, which presents a conflict. Eventually he quits but Philippe is lost once again. Driss is summoned late one night to find Philippe is desperate straits. ‘I need air,’ Philippe says. Driss bundles Philippe up and dumps him in the passenger seat of his sports car. Off they go, racing along the Seine at 4 a.m. Suddenly they are involved in a high speed chase with the police.
“THE INTOUCHABLES handles the subjects of disability and race with equal aplomb. The film is endearing, informative, hilarious and touching. Omar Sy, winner of the César for best actor, is nothing short of brilliant. François Cluzet (ENTRE NOUS; ‘ROUND MIDNIGHT; CHOCOLAT; OLIVIER, OLIVIER; PRÊT-À-PORTER; PARIS, TELL NO ONE) has been around for many years. This is his well-deserved break into stardom. A Hollywood remake is in the works with Colin Firth lined up to play Philippe. This is a film that needs no second version. The original is perfect. 5 cats
“(THE INTOUCHABLES screened at the 2012 Provincetown International Film Festival.)”
Marilyn says: “I totally agree. The actors delivered such complex characters and I fell in love with both. I also liked the diversity in casting without comment….or am I wrong that in the clip at the end of the movie, the real people were white. No need to remake but I would go to see Colin Firth examine the role and I might suggest Idris Elba (from Luther) for the caretaker. You know, Bruce, Shakespeare is constantly ‘remade'”
Bruce responds: “Yes , Marilyn, I tell that to others all the time. However, some American remakes borrow only the basic plot lines and change everything else; the characters are quite different and the dialogue is rewritten. Usually in Shakespeare the dialogue is intact even if the setting is modern. Often the changes to Shakespeare involve editing down to make the production shorter in length or having actors play multiple roles. ”