The Intouchables (2011)

• Year: 2011
• Released: 02 Nov 2011
• Country: France
• Adwords: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award38 wins & 40 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1675434/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intouchables
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-intouchables
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: French, English
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
• Runtime: 112 min
• Writer: Olivier Nakache, Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, Éric Toledano
• Director: Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano
• Cast: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny
• Keywords: based on true story, based on a true story, friendship, duringcreditsstinger, male friendship,

	8.5/10
	57/100
	75% – Critics
	93% – Audience

The Intouchables Storyline

In Paris, the aristocratic and intellectual Philippe is a quadriplegic millionaire who is interviewing candidates for the position of his carer, with his red-haired secretary Magalie. Out of the blue, Driss cuts the line of candidates and brings a document from the Social Security and asks Phillipe to sign it to prove that he is seeking a job position so he can receive his unemployment benefit. Philippe challenges Driss, offering him a trial period of one month to gain experience helping him. Then Driss can decide whether he would like to stay with him or not. Driss accepts the challenge and moves to the mansion, changing the boring life of Phillipe and his employees.

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The Intouchables Movie Reviews

A magnificent, sensitive movie

It’s not because I’m French that I appreciated this movie which I’ve seen twice. Too give the really infamous appreciation of the reader from Toronto to the French public, qualifying us of a segregationist country is difficult to gulp especially coming from north America which has not a very glorious past on the matter even in recent years. Perhaps the commentator should see the movie “The help” to refresh his memory… But what I’d like to say here apart of praising the fabulous interpretation of both leading actors is to remind that this is a true story, it did not come out from the directors and scriptwriter heads.

Philippe Pozzo Di Borgo born in 51, got a dramatic para-glider accident in the French Alps in 1993 being totally deprived of movements from the base of his neck to the tip of his feet. 3 Years later his wife died and he was helped out of his depression by Abdel Sellou his life-aid assistant. He published his terrible story in 2001 under the title “the second breath” (in French “Le second soufflé”). The directors have had the compliments of Di Borgo for the way they adapted his story. If in any way this was biased he would never had accepted the film to be left in that state. The Di Borgo family is a very old and wealthy family whose origins goes far back in the history of France, and their residence in Paris is considered to be one the jewels of the capital at the same level as The Hotel de Sully in Paris. What is shown in the film is exactly what happens everywhere in the world as far as handicapped are concerned: tendency to overwhelm them with pity which is more diminishing them as if their fate is not enough for them to swallow every minute or second each day. The way the racial problem is viewed is properly demonstrated. The police behaves in different ways depending of the color of your skin or your country’s origin and sorry to say North America is a very good example of this so perhaps is not a proper judge on this matter.The authors had the courage to state this straightforwardly. The film shows on the contrary how a man with a very limited education at the beginning, a former convict, is capable progressively to change his views, and find in himself at the same time the good Samaritan aspects and help with humor and punch, his handicapped boss to find a new belief in his shattered life at 42! At the same time the boss demonstrates an open-mindedness which was not obvious to get not only because of his handicap but because of his origins and his wealth at first. Let’s not illusion ourselves on the matter, everywhere in the world few wealthy people would accept to have as an aid an ex convict whichever color his skin should be! It’s a fantastic lesson of tolerance, and friendship. For just those reason this movie would deserve an Oscar or Golden Globe awards.

09/07/2013 : I’ve just seen that under “Crazy credits” is mentioned that 5% of the revenues of the film will go to an institutions caring for disabled persons. I just don’t see what’s crazy about that! I find this kind of remark particularly shocking and insulting both for the producers and the actors especially in this case where the story told is a true one.I suggest the administrator to delete that remark or change its qualification.

Chasing the clouds away

I was surprised by Untouchable. I did not think that a French film about a wealthy quadriplegic and his black working class carer would be a comedy. Instead I thought the film would be bogged down with race, cultural and class issues.

Francois Cluzet who looks a lot like former F1 world champion Nigel Mansell plays Phillipe. A wealthy widowed aristocrat living in a fabulous Parisian mansion paralyzed from the neck down in a paragliding accident. He needs round the clock care and none of them last long.

Philippe meets Driss (Omar Sy) who is of Senegalese origin. He only attends the job interview to get a signature so he can get his unemployment benefits. Despite being a small time criminal, Philippe likes his irreverence and verve and employs him.

Driss is physically strong but he also brings Philippe to life as he drives him around in one of Philippe’s fast cars rather than his adapted disabled friendly van. Driss’s lack of stuffiness is exactly what Philippe needed.

Untouchable is a feel good buddy comedy of two men from different tracks of life who bond. It is really a simple story based on true facts, although the real life carer was a French Arab. It is an engaging enough film despite its stereotypes. There is a scene where Driss steals a Faberge egg that was given to Phillipe by his late wife.

The film decided to go for the funk feel of Earth, Wind and Fire. It helps that both stars have an easy chemistry together.

Very nice acting.

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.