Very nice acting.

Rating: 8/10 (17 March 2013)

According to IMDb, "The Intouchables" set all sorts of box office records--the second most successful French film in history in France as well as the number one film for 2012 in Germany. So, because of this very impressive pedigree I was perhaps expecting a little more. Now this is NOT to say it's a bad film--it's wonderful. It just didn't seem quite THAT wonderful. But it IS well worth seeing.
As for the plot, this movie is a true-life account of a quadriplegic man (François Cluzet) in search of a new aide. However, all the folks who apply for the job seem the same--boring and sterile. On an odd lark, he chooses an unqualified man who doesn't seem interested in the job at all (Omar Sy). And, oddly, they form a friendship that seems to reinforce the old adage that opposites attract.
While the plot is amazingly thin and seems to be missing chunks of the story, the film is masterful in several ways. The acting (particularly by Sy) is just terrific. But even more terrific is the artistry of the film itself. It takes a somewhat ordinary story and injects it with class--including some wonderful cinematography and one of the nicest soundtracks I have ever heard. It is a lovely film.