Pragmatic ?

Rating: 9/10 (14 April 2013)

Script-wise the film follows all the rules, but doesn't make an stiff movie, or a collection of predictable clichés, far away from that. All the resources that are used in the movie are used in order to tell a story that it is the core of the movie, the growing and life changing friendship between Philipe (François Cluzet, the French Dustin Hoffman) and Driss (Omar Sy), the second has worked in previous movies of the directors and writers of the movie (Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano).
It is a movie that can blend together perfectly humor and drama in many levels, all the time it plays with that. The spontaneity of Driss is key to explain the force that drives through out the movie, along with the intelligence and sensibility of Philipe.
Many of the scenes that we can find it funny and interesting in the movie, it is under this blunt honesty, socially we are under so much scrutiny and so much expectations of behavior of what it is expected, that we can end up drowning in our skin, and probably no one would realize. How can we overcome, our own fears, the weigh of our own lives and really see one another?
Friendships can do that. And that it is the story of the movie. Two true friends. "Brothers".
He laughs at the Opera, which I have been one time in Austria, and I would definitely agree with him, unless you are over 70 year's old, you will might like it though (just don't forget to bring your pants, they won't let you in otherwise). He is able to look at Philipe with no pity and with compassion. They are both able to acknowledge one another and have fun.
Movies are made of scenes, of fragments of life. The whole plot can only work, because these emotions and moments come in high level into the movie. True as for what can be recognized by our emotions. - Moments of friendship, it is so easy to see their intimacy. - Moments of teenager joy. (when he gets to drive the car) - Moments of real emotion for the characters. etc...
Some truths we think, are so hard to face, that we are not able to admit to ourselves, but only a true friend, can look at it and be able to help us out, to be who we truly are. We usually live with two lives inside our hearts and minds, but things only really start when they become one. And that it the whole story.