Untouchable

There’s no doubt this is a beautiful story that can make you fly, but perhaps (though the comparison is very exaggerated) compared to the similarly will-inducing Shawshank, it gets old fast and the initial enthusiasm wears thin. I still enjoy watching it more than most American comedies of the last few years, but I'd look elsewhere for undying cult-status. (02/05/2018)

An excellent, superbly dramatic, and well-crafted film about real life among paraplegics and similarly disabled individuals. Philippe belongs to that fraction of the population who can afford to live in a castle with plenty of staff, and in such an environment, paralysis is much more bearable than languishing in an institution with burnt-out staff who make it abundantly clear how much your mere physical existence irritates them, and who keep you perpetually in a state of miserable survival. However, such a truthful film would not offer so much heartwarming humor, interesting situations, and appealing characters. The mutual chemistry between caregiver Driss, a black plebeian from the outskirts, and the aristocratic upper-class Philippe is simply perfect and fully functional. The film not only explores the development of a great friendship but also interestingly tackles the clash of different cultures, social classes, and the eternal conflict between the so-called high elite culture and the popular culture of the masses. The Intouchables excellently fulfills both genres it represents. You laugh at these characters and at the same time, you are afraid for them. There is one thing more I need to criticize - the film's epilogue is unnecessarily literal, and here, I would have left a more or less open ending and room for the viewer's imagination. Overall impression: 90%. (13/06/2012)

I have no hesitation in giving this all five stars, even if it is a purpose-made product, full of cliché and the right type of humanity. It flows past pleasantly, always something happening, and even above average in terms of acting. The customary French tempo has left the handbrake on, so in fact it rolls on just right for us to be able to appreciate the millionaire’s attributes... The Maserati, the great bath tub. I agree that sooner than later we’ll see an American remake. (05/04/2012)

I know that there will be those who will say that it is actually a pathetic story that only stands on the fact that one of the characters is disabled and can only move their head, but I cannot help it, this is simply a story that touched my heart. The main characters are quadriplegic Philippe and his caretaker Driss. At first glance, they are a pair that logically should not go together. Philippe is rich but paralyzed, requiring permanent care. Driss, on the other hand, is a young man who has just gotten out of prison, he is straightforward, says what he thinks, slightly unreliable, and above all, from a poor neighborhood. People like him usually don't fit with the wealthy. But it is precisely with his straightforwardness and behavior that Driss wins over his new employer, turning his life upside down. Driss wins over everyone and also wins over the viewers, just like this movie does. It is a smart, touching comedy that relies on the interaction of the two main characters, as well as Driss with other people. It works. It doesn't matter that it is based on a true story. I don't judge it as such. "The Intouchables" would be a great film even if it were made as an original story. The French once again prove that they are capable of creating something that can overcome national boundaries and captivate the whole world. It's a good thing, French cinema has a strong tradition and it needs to be rekindled. It's working in horror, and now apparently in other genres as well. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/07/runaways-rok-jedna-nedotknutelni-johnny.html (22/02/2013)

A black angel in a bourgeois mansion. In America, African nannies teach middle-class children emotional completeness, in Britain, a Yemeni sheikh preaches to depressed heroes about the meaning of life, and in France, a Senegalese beanpole gives a quadriplegic millionaire the motivation to do things by turning the idyll of the rich people into a soft version of a Parisian suburb (at the same time, of course, he assimilates himself with the beauty of "high art"). If this isn't a midcult crucible with all the ingredients, then I'm a legless satyr. The Intouchables is related to both of these films by the fact that they are dead from the waist down (including the heart and balls), but after all, it burns them well enough so that one cannot hurt their feelings. It is cheerful, warm, sometimes even slightly beyond the edge of political correctness, but it is, as the Georgian Schnauzer would say, non-conflicting and wrapped in silk. The French know how to make these multi-cult ornaments, and the powerfully applauded work of the pair of directors has the beautiful feature that at least it doesn't force you to watch any clichéd social and political stereotypes (at least the philanthropic moneybags doesn't save the trailer trash from the ghetto), although that submissiveness to the middle taste is too much for my taste - in the end, it's actually something between a fairy tale and a comedy. I understand the high rating, unlike the dull poop called The Help... but similar emotional films just don’t work on me. P.S. Commissioner Cluzet is great... (27/05/2012)