An inspirational, feel good 'fairy tale'

Rating: 8/10 (29 September 2012)

Plot: A petty thief (Omar Sy) from "the projects" in Paris goes through the motions of applying for a job caring for a VERY wealthy man who's paralyzed from the neck down (Francois Cluzet); this is to satisfy a requirement to keep getting his unemployment benefits that he really is looking for work. To his surprise (and initial disappointment), he gets the job and then -- things change for both him and his new employer.
This is a marvelous, inspirational, feel good "fairy tale" of how two men, each very handicapped in different ways, can transform each other. Based loosely on the lives of two actual people, the writers-directors have taken abundant liberties and created a comedy much appreciated in Europe and sure also to be around the globe. They condensed the action from 10 years to 1, changed many outcomes, invented many scenes. No matter--these actors, Omar Sy & Francois Cluzet, are SO great, they make us believe.
My ratings: 9.5 of 10 stars as an entertaining movie (-- but 3.5 of 10 as quasi-realistic biographies).
The principal characters of this movie have each written books which give FAR more realistic views than this movie of their lives and actions before and after meeting (they're still friends). If interested, read Phillipe Pozzo di Borgo's "A Second Wind" (a very remarkable man & humanitarian) and Abdel Sellous's "You Changed My Life". Both are good reads in different ways. This movie impelled me to read these books to find out what actually happened and who these men really are.