A Charming and Delightful Film

Rating: 8/10 (24 June 2012)

Omar Sy delivers a tour de force performance in "The Intouchables" a wonderfully entertaining character study depicting the relationship between a wealthy invalid and his immigrant caregiver. The two men at first seem an extremely unlikely pair but when wheelchair-bound Philippe (Francois Cluzet) who's tired of pitying, condescending caregivers meets Driss (Omar Sy) a rough, young man with nary a hint of pretension and looking for a job in which he has zero prospects of success he shocks his friends and acquaintances by offering him the position. Needless to say things around the stuffy, staid household will never be the same again. I'm not a huge fan of feel good movies but I was totally absorbed in this picture. From the opening sequence with Driss speeding down the highway, weaving in and out of traffic, I got swept up in the film's enthusiasm and energy. Sy and Cluzet work beautifully together and remind me of the some of the great bipolar relationships in movie history like Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates in "Zorba The Greek" and Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in "The Odd Couple". If you're in the market for a funny and endearing film you might want to check this one out.