By: debbie lynn elias
Already nominated for 9 Cezar Awards, France’s equivalent of the Oscars, THE INTOUCHABLES is, in a word, stupendous. The first real Must See Film of the Year and Feel Good Film of the Summer, directors Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache bring us this uplifting, touching, funny story of a millionaire and street-wise ex-con from the projects that just fills the heart with joy and laughter. Based on the true story of quadriplegic millionaire Phillipe Pozzo di Borgo and his caretaker, Algerian-born Abdel, Toledano and Nakache tweak the story a bit from the documentary, “A La Vie, A La Mort” which chronicled the story of Phillipe and Abdel, change Abdel to a Senegalese named Driss (in order to cast the amazing Omar Sy), fill the film with electrifying performances, witty and heartfelt dialogue, and add in some killer R&B music that gets the juices flowing and voila, we have THE INTOUCHABLES touching the heart with laughter.
Celebrating and embracing the differences of each man and their respective walks of life, the base situation in and of itself bodes well for poignant, heartfelt laughter, but in the skilled hands of Toledano and Nakache, leads to hilarious result.
With a strong narrative technique we meet Phillippe and Driss in the present day on a cold, rainy night as they race along with glistening wet streets of Paris in a Maserati from Phillipe’s fleet of cars. Stopped by the cops, we immediately set a sense of who these men are and feel as if not only have they been friends for life, but so have we. Pulling a con on the cops, the two men are like kids in a candy store pulling pranks on the teacher. Their glee is infectious and downright laugh-out-loud funny setting the tone for what is yet to come.
Shifting the narrative back in time to the day of their first meeting, it’s easy to see this is a match made in heaven. Appearing at Phillippe’s doorstep under the guise of applying for a job as caretaker for the quadriplegic, Driss is anything but proper. Irreverent, loud mouthed and disinterested, he shows no pity for Phillippe and his condition, and is self-absorbed in his own problem – needing a signature on his paperwork to show he “tried” to get a job so that he can continue to collect welfare benefits. With a conversation about Berlioz as common ground – although for Phillippe, he’s talking the composer, while Driss is taking the name of the projects where he lives – one can sense the electricity between them. Before meeting Driss, Phillippe was just sitting in his wheelchair with no spark, no life force, no emotion. But within moments of their engagement, he comes alive, the eyes brighten, while Driss becomes even more engaging and entertaining as if showing off in a school play.
In the most unlikely pairing, Driss and Phillippe become inseparable, not just as employer and employee, but as friends. Like boys in the school yard, they plot and plan, talking women, sex, child-rearing for Phillippe’s bratty and out-of-control daughter, plan prank filled days, and of course, bond through the universal touchstone of music and the arts. While Phillippe is a devotee of the classics in all respects, Driss is a fool for the life beats that come with a pulse pounding tune from Earth, Wind & Fire. Somewhere along the way, the two men inexplicably intertwine and become one. Poignant and beautiful to watch develop.
Francois Cluzet amazes as quadriplegic Phillippe Pozzo di Borgo while Omar Sy just blows you out of the water as Driss. Funny, charismatic, entertaining, engaging…and his smile and laugh – infectious joy!!! I cannot get enough of Sy or the chemistry between he and Cluzet. As for Cluzet, the role of Phillippe was particularly challenging as he is known for tackling roles with minimal dialogue, relying on physical nuance to convey expression. Here, he had no body to use which thus placed him in a relatively unfamiliar position of emotional participation only. Interestingly, he found Sy becoming his body. “When he dances, it’s a little as if I were dancing. When he jokes, it’s a little as if I were joking.” Difficult was also portraying the concept of pain and particularly “phantom” leg pains.
Written and directed by Toledano and Nakache, the script is unapologetic with its honesty when it comes to social taboos and political correctness tapestried into a story of irreverent humor.
An incredible journey of two men and a friendship destined to last a lifetime. A testament to the human spirit and the humanity within each of us. THE INTOUCHABLES will touch you in the most unimaginable and unforgettable ways.
Driss – Omar Sy
Phillippe Pozzo di Borgo – Francois Cluzet
Written and Directed by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache
