Chasing the clouds away

Rating: 6/10 (9 June 2019)

I was surprised by Untouchable. I did not think that a French film about a wealthy quadriplegic and his black working class carer would be a comedy. Instead I thought the film would be bogged down with race, cultural and class issues.
Francois Cluzet who looks a lot like former F1 world champion Nigel Mansell plays Phillipe. A wealthy widowed aristocrat living in a fabulous Parisian mansion paralyzed from the neck down in a paragliding accident. He needs round the clock care and none of them last long.
Philippe meets Driss (Omar Sy) who is of Senegalese origin. He only attends the job interview to get a signature so he can get his unemployment benefits. Despite being a small time criminal, Philippe likes his irreverence and verve and employs him.
Driss is physically strong but he also brings Philippe to life as he drives him around in one of Philippe's fast cars rather than his adapted disabled friendly van. Driss's lack of stuffiness is exactly what Philippe needed.
Untouchable is a feel good buddy comedy of two men from different tracks of life who bond. It is really a simple story based on true facts, although the real life carer was a French Arab. It is an engaging enough film despite its stereotypes. There is a scene where Driss steals a Faberge egg that was given to Phillipe by his late wife.
The film decided to go for the funk feel of Earth, Wind and Fire. It helps that both stars have an easy chemistry together.