This drama, based on a true story, has received so much hype since it became the highest grossing French film of all time and won all manner of international accolades that it’s now in the midst of an inevitable backlash. Several critics are now complaining that instead of the heart-warming and uplifting tale of friendship it was initially received as, this is in fact a standard and sappy bromance’ that doesn’t offer anything new.
Of course this kind of negative reaction is common whenever a small film is seen as having gotten too big for its boots and, having finally seen the film, I’m happy to report that it’s completely unjustified as Untouchable is a fantastically entertaining and well judged film that manages to avoid becoming overly sentimental.
Following a paragliding accident, extravagantly wealthy widower Philippe (Francois Cluzet) is paralysed from the neck down and requires round-the-clock care. He and his assistant Magalie (Audrey Fleurot) hold interviews to find a worthy carer and among the overqualified and overeager to work for the millionaire applicants they encounter Driss (Omar Sy,) a charismatic ex-con who’s only attending the interview so he can continue to claim benefits. Sick of sycophantic carers pussyfooting around his condition, Philippe likes Driss’ blunt and candid attitude and gives him the job leading to a relationship that’s confrontational, touching and often hilarious.
The film has a similar attitude to Driss when it comes to Philippe’s handicap; it acknowledges the awfulness of his condition but doesn’t patronise him and instead portrays him as a flawed human being who’s often quite unsympathetic. Similarly, although it’s acknowledged that Driss, who is a Senegalese immigrant, comes from a deprived background this is simply portrayed as important back-story and the film doesn’t linger on it or become the dreaded “poverty porn. It’s this straightforward attitude that lets the film explore paralysis and poverty with a lightness of touch without seeming flippant.
This is the kind of story that could easily have been told in an excruciating sappy and sickly sweet fashion and the film’s greatest achievement is that it manages to avoid this. Admittedly, as it reaches its conclusion some sentimentality does start to creep in but by that point you feel the film has earned it.
It’s a film that will stand up to endless repeat viewings and is definitely worth owning so it’s a shame that the only extra features are some deleted scenes.
Overall Verdict: Sometimes the hype is right and the backlash is wrong. This is a touching, uplifting and hugely enjoyable story that you’ll want to revisit time and again.
Special Features:
Deleted scenes
Reviewer: Adam Pidgeon