To begin, I want to talk about a film that was extremely popular in France, which received several award nominations, which included eight Cesar Awards. The Intouchables is a French comedy drama directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, which stars Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy. The film grossed over 400 million dollars in Europe alone and nine weeks after its release in France, it became the second biggest box office hit. In my opinion I believe The Intouchables to be one of the best foreign films created within the past five years.
The film is based on a true story, which entails a pleasant, predictable plot of an unlikely friendship between wealthy quadriplegic, Philippe and a sly, self confident, lazy welfare collector, named Driss. When Philippe hires Driss after he’s come only looking to collect welfare, all of the right boxes are checked. Clashing personalities learn to respect each other; Driss, a live wire, teaches the uptight Philippe to loosen up; Serious issues blend with light comedic moments, while labels are completely forgotten and friendship becomes common ground. It’s the perfect combination to create a great movie, which viewers can easily digest. I would recommend this movie to anyone who wishes to watch a comical drama that addresses serious issues while making the audience laugh the whole way through.