Poetic and Touching

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2012)

Philippe is paralyzed as the result of an accident while paragliding. The opening scene of the film shows him as a passenger in a Maserati moving along at high speeds, driven by a black man. The police pull over the car and immediately assume the worst. As he is being patted down, he tells the cops to look in the back at the wheelchair, used by the man he is driving to a hospital for an emergency. After they leave, we see that this was all a ruse by the two men.
A flashback at a beautiful residence where a row of people are waiting to be interviewed for the job of caretaker for Philippe, and Driss, the driver from the beginning is interviewed by the patient and an assistant. He asks for his application to be signed so that he can continue to collect unemployment. Instead he is hired and learns how to do physical therapy and other tasks.
At first he is reluctant to do what he is asked, but in time the odd couple become friends. Driss learns about Philippes life, including the death of his wife. The rich man's lawyer warns him that his new assistant has a criminal record and was in jail for six months.
Driss hears Philippe dictating a letter to woman and when he finds out that he has been having a pen pal relationship with the lady, convinces him to call her to set up a real date. After exchanging pictures, they arrange a meeting at a restaurant, but he leaves before she shows up.
To get away, they take a private jet and later go paragliding, while strapped to others. Family troubles force Driss to leave to take care of several relatives and Philippe despises his new helper. He grows a scraggly beard and Driss visits and ridicules his ugly facial hair. They drive to a beach front restaurant where Driss has a surprise waiting.
The Intouchables is somewhat overly sentimental, but Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy are so good as the two men from different worlds who connect, it can be overlooked in this beautiful and poetic real life story.