About a week ago, my wife and daughter told me they wanted
to buy a DVD for a movie called The Intouchables. They had seen the trailer online and based on what they saw
they wanted to see the movie, which was available on DVD in Europe but not here
in the United States. A little poking around the Internet and it wasn’t clear
that version of the movie available for purchase had English subtitles.
Luckily, the French movie directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano was
just released here on May 25. We promptly found a Landmark Theatre playing the
film and made plans for this weekend – with me joking that I was going to read
a movie (though the trailer did make the film look good.)
The Intouchables
is the story of a wealthy tetraplegic (quadraplegic?) named Philippe, played by
Francois Cluzet, and his live-in caregiver Driss, played by Omar Sy. The film
opens to the two of them stuck in traffic in Philippe’s Maserati Quattroporte.
Driss pulls out of traffic, hits the throttle and takes off only to be chased
by the police. Driss bets Philippe that he can get away from the police and
Phillipe agrees. The scene goes on from there and I won’t ruin it for you.
Suffice it to say that this is actually a point toward the end of the story and
the movie then goes back to how Driss and Philippe met and proceeds from there.
The story is full of laughter and some drama as we see how
these two main characters learn about each other and become more than employer
and employee. I thoroughly enjoyed the believable and touching friendship
between Philippe and Driss as well as the relationships between Driss and the
rest of Philippe’s staff. The
entire cast did a great job, particularly Anne Le Ny as Yvonne (the head of the
household staff) and Audrey Fleurot as Magalie (Philippe’s assistant). The result,
a very entertaining film.
Often when I watch subtitled movies I find myself so
preoccupied with reading that I miss the visuals of the film. With The Intouchables, I often forgot that I
was reading (though I still was) and was instead caught up in the film. My
wife, daughter and I all really enjoyed the film and left the theater ready to
go get a Maserati (if you like cars…you will too.) This is one time where the
movie trailer (see it below) shows you exactly what to expect from the film. I
give The Intouchables five Mick
Happies. Look for a theater showing this movie and go, it will be well worth
your time.
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