The Intouchables

The Intouchables was recommended to me by a friend who said that I should review it for my blog. I think it’s fair to say that I took my time with watching it, and now that I have seen it, I wish I hadn't taken so long to get round to it. It is a fantastically touching, uplifting film that will draw you in without you realising it and leave you wanting even more from the story.

The Intouchables is a French biopic film about a quadriplegic named Philippe who hires a young man, Driss, to help him with his care. The first part of the film unfolds as a typical scenario in which neither character are comfortable with each other. Driss particularly struggles with the jobs that he needs to do for Philippe. However, by the end of the film the two are firm friends, introducing each other to various aspects of their very different worlds and they both change as a result of their friendship.

Now not being particularly ‘in the know’ about French cinema I had no idea who either of the leading actors were, and I think this really helped with my enjoyment of the film. By far and away, the best thing about The Intouchables is the chemistry between Francois Cluzet (Philippe) and Omar Sy (Driss). Both men do fantastically well to convey their characters as both best friends and individuals who don’t get on because they are from two different worlds. Although they are both spectacular together, their individual performances are very enjoyable too. Francois Cluzet does very well in a role which has the potential to be done either very well or very badly. His portrayal of a quadriplegic is brilliant and completely convincing. His performance makes up a central part of the film and it definitely would not be the same without him.

However, in my opinion, the show is stolen by Omar Sy who is an absolutely joy to watch as Driss. Having not seen Sy in anything before this I found him to be a thoroughly entertaining actor. His portrayal of both sides of his character is perfect. His is the kind of performance that you know is the result of some exceptional dedication from Sy. He is able to convey an enjoyment to the audience that brings them into the film. He certainly made me want to see more of the relationship between Driss and Philippe, and the feeling of not wanting it the film to end perfectly parallels what is going on in the movie.

I really loved this film for a number of reasons, the first being how it invites you in and captivates your attention without you really realising it. However, instead of being one of those film that is brilliant because of one stand out acting performance, or because of its deep and important message, it is brilliant because you enjoy it so much. This is primarily due to the relationship between Driss and Philippe, which is the focal point of the whole movie. It is not only this relationship that completes the film, but the fact that both characters grow and develop before your eyes. At first the incongruence between the world of Philippe and the world of Driss makes the film a bit awkward, and before it becomes so enjoyable it is quite funny. One particular scene that demonstrates this is where Driss is dealing with a neighbour who is always parking in front of Philippe’s garage.

Just a quick note about the subtitles, normally I cannot stand watching a film with the subtitles on because they distract me too much from the actual film. However with The Intouchables I found myself absolutely loving the film, subtitles and all. Because the relationship between the characters is so entertaining, an understanding of French is not crucial to your enjoyment of the film and the subtitles don’t really detract from the film.

I am going to follow of from the recommendation of my friend and strongly suggest that you watch The Intouchables too. It has been a while since I have seen a film that improved my mood so much. It is wonderfully uplifting and joyful in parts. Even better, it is the kind of film that very few people seem to have seen, and in that respect it is a bit of a hidden gem. I can’t imagine that you won’t enjoy it because of how fantastically engaging it is. Not one to miss at all.