Intouchables stops just short of perfection, but not for the reasons I have read from among the critics. The film is incredibly funny, with exceptional characters, a fast pace and a story borrowed from reality. This film was recently reviewed by @themovieplace. I thought I would add my perspective as well. Interestingly, this film recieved "one star" from the Independent, one of our local magazines. How sadly misinformed this article was. But more on that later.
Intouchables is based on the true story of a paralyzed millionaire (Phillipe, played by Francois Cluzet) who was injured years ago in a skydiving accident. The job pays well, so there is no shortage of drab, boring male nurses who tell him what he wants to hear. Phillipe is intrigued by one applicant, Driss (Omar Sy), who is simply satisfying his job search requirements in order to obtain unemployment benefits. Driss is brash, loud and incredibly insensitive. He is also strong, intelligent and has a good heart. These attributes seem to appeal to Phillipe's adventurous side.
When Phillipe offers Driss the job (on a probationary basis), Driss thinks he is joking. Driss has no intention of manually evacuating Phillipe's bowels, which is among the tedious aspects of the job. However, Driss has been kicked out of his home and has been offered a room in Phillipe's mansion as part of his benefits package. It seems that the deep bath tub and comfortable bed are the final selling points that draw him in. The unlikely combination of millionaire and petty thief quickly pivots into a close "bromance" that results in fun, situational comedy rooted in Driss' lack of political correctness.
I was shocked, then, to read that this film was racist. It is not. If anything, I would have expected the complaints to come from disabled groups. However, the jokes actually demonstrate the fact that Driss does not treat Phillipe as disabled. While he often forgets the intricate attention his employer requires, his blunt approach is exactly what Phillipe wants. I did not see the racist thing coming. I believe there are just people out there who need to find racism in everything. I will be utterly surprised if anyone reading this review finds this film to be racist. The thought never crossed my mind. Particularly since the film is based on a true story.
After checking a couple of other sources, I read words like "magic negro" and "minstrel." Here is the problem with those assumptions. The magic negro device was used in film in support of the lead character. In Intouchables, Driss is the lead character. A minstrel is also a cast away character. So those labels clearly do not apply. Stereotypes are rooted in truth. They become stereotypes based on their elements of reality. The problem with stereotypes in film is when they are negative. In Intouchables, Driss is not treated at all as a negative character, but as a hero of sorts. The minor negative attributes are balanced by a larger story of altruism, love, attentiveness and other character traits that are clearly positive. I think that the authors of these race-based articles may be projecting their own psychological baggage onto this film. Don't miss this exceptional comedy because some hack writer is so caught up on nuance that they have missed the bigger picture.
I enjoyed this film because it was so brilliantly crafted. It was written by the Directors, Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano. The pair have taken a true story and crafted an intelligent comedy out of it. In the process, they have given us deep characters whose lives absorb us. I was sucked into this film and cared about the outcome. From the opening chase scene to the final credits, I was immersed in this film. So there were some throw-away characters in this film. So what? The film was not perfect. But it was definitely humorous.
I was unfamiliar with the cast of Intouchables, but came away impressed. At times, Cluzet reminded me of Dustin Hoffman (physically). His performance was reminiscent of Hoffman, as well. He became so saturated by his character that the illusion of his disability was complete. I never sensed that he could simply stand up and walk away from his wheelchair. This was a difficult feat, especially when he was required to slump over in reaction to Driss' failure to pay attention. It required a lot of trust between the actors at times. Sy was perfectly cast as Driss. It made sense to me that Phillipe chose this guy. The pair had a natural chemistry that made their relationship believable. Great cast.
Intouchables was rated R by the MPAA. It seems like a harsh rating to me. The film has strong language, which includes plenty of sexual innuendo, adult situations and sexual references. The film also contains drug use. However, the film does not contain nudity or violence. It seems like this film could have slipped into the PG-13 category. Based on the wholesomeness of the underlying story, I would suggest that this film would be fine for teenage audiences or older.
Intouchables is everything a good dramatic comedy should be. It begins with strong, credible characters and builds from there. With great casting, this film had a solid foundation to build upon. The comedic timing, pacing of the film and wry humor all kept me entertained. My attention never wandered as this film delivered some of the best laugh lines I have seen in a while. Was it contrived? Maybe a bit. Were there some flat characters? Yes...but then, you find that in every film. The flaws were minor, the chuckles non-stop. A not-to-be-missed foreign film from France. 9/10.
