The Intouchables (2011) @ Intouchables

Magic negro + marijuana + slutty Asian masseuses = A happy quadriplegic?

At a glance:

Havin reportedly come in second recently for most attended French movie of all time in France, this neat little drama about a rich white invalid and his poor black help has made the Weinstein Company so very happy that they've put dibs on a Hollywood remake as well. So before you see obvious replacements Dustin Hoffman and Will Smith goofin around a wheelchair next summer, why not see the original first? There's 112 minutes of  a jobless Senegalese man called Driss (Omar Sy) who goes to a job interview dressed like a gangbanger and unexpectedly ends up in a remarkable friendship with hoity-toity Philippe (Francois Cluzet) as they make fun of class and culture.

The wonderful freckled French beaut
that is Audrey Fleurot.
- 37th Cesar Film Awards
at Theatre du Chatelet, Paris.
24 Feb 2012

Bad news on the doorstep:

Intouchables has an all too obvious example of a magical negro at work, so it's no wonder that some American reviewers, like Jay Weissberg at Variety, called it offensive and "may seduce unthinking auds with an infectious breeziness". I guess there's no real defence to that because it's actually true - but I also believe that perhaps one ought to pay the devil his due when a movie so offends but one isn't embarrassed to enjoy it. Driss makes fun of Vivaldi, Faberge eggs, opera performances and even Philippe's disability in the most insensitive ways but the poor man laughs along as because - hey, let's face it - it's actually funny. That's the kind of winsome chemistry at work here. Intouchables has formulaic feel-good frivolity drippin off its movie poster, shamelessly executin one cheap laugh after another but by golly me do you like how these two characters play off each other. Nevermind that the real-life character of Driss was an Algerian - the idea works.

Perennial wonderment:

You can do further readin on the actual persons from which this movie was inspired. Quite an amazin story.

Reminds me of:

Philippe's admin assistant Magalie is played by Audrey Fleurot, a buxom babe that reminds me of Gemma Arterton's Strawberry Fields character who helped James Bond locate his, er, missin stationery in Quantum Of Solace (2008). Wish there were more Hollywood exposure for her.

"Are you seriously gonna pay €30,000 for this nosebleed?"

I can't remember if I cried:

In the final scenes, Philippe is predictably given a wonderful surprise by his magic negro. The look on the old man's face is priceless and this is definitely teardrop territory. I saw this at an advanced screenin with the French consulate at Cineplex Odeon Varsity and filmmakers Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano were at hand to elaborate: "When we went to see the real Philippe, he said okay we can have his story but we must make it a comedy. He didn't want people to cry. Still, you all cried."

Watch out for:

Omar Sy's muscular dance floor antiques while Earth, Wind & Fire's 'Boogie Wonderland' plays. White guys can't dance, it's true. For the record, Omar Sy took Best Actor at the 37th César Awards against Jean Dujardin in The Artist, so that should pique your interest.

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

Good date movie for anyone seekin to impress their date with somethin foreign yet accessible. ★★★ 1/2

Trailer for the curious:

Bonus material:

This young lady stood around admirin posters instead of queuin up
and so paid the price of gettin lousy seats.
- Cineplex Odeon Varsity, Toronto. Photo taken 15 May 2012.

Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano being interviewed by local critic Richard Crouse as the end credits rolled.

These two were comedians!

- Cineplex Odeon Varsity, Toronto. Photo taken 15 May 2012.

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