A very heart-felt, human film. Highly recommendable.

Rating: 8/10 (5 February 2012)

Intouchables is an unusual buddy movie about two guys who couldn't be more opposite of each other. Driss (Omar Sy) just wants to get a rejection paper from Philippe, a quadriplegic aristocrat, so he can receive unemployment benefits. But Philippe has other plans for him: He is immediately under Driss' charm and decides to hire him as his personal nurse.
The two bond more and more and that is when the movie shows its strength: It lives from the contrast between the easy-going, charming underclass prankster and the rich, art-loving lord. The collision of these two worlds offers room for plenty of funny material. When the two sit in the opera in a room full of uptight white men in suits, and on stage a man dressed as a tree starts to sing in German, Driss can't hold his back laughter. Neither can the audience of this film.
It's a warm, delightful comedy that hits all the right notes, completely politically incorrect and honest. It has a comedic tone throughout the whole film but allows itself to also show the internal conflicts of the two protagonists without ever being sappy. It's a rare thing to see a handicapped person portrayed without too much pathos.
Please see this movie. It's beautifully-shot, well written, heartfelt and heartwarming.