Les Intouchables

I have been wanting to watch the multi award-winning French movie, Les Intouchables, since hearing about it from someone in my French class earlier in the year, so I was very excited when I found out recently that this movie was now showing in cinemas - with English subtitles, of course. I went to see it last night with some friends, at the Palace Centro cinemas.

Les Intouchables, which has been directly translated to 'The Intouchables' for the cinema screenings in the US and here in Australia (I don't get why they didn't alter the spelling), is based on the non-fictional memoir by Abdel Sellou, titled 'You changed my life'. It tells of how a Senegalese immigrant (the author is actually Algerian), Driss (Omar Sy), an ex-con who lives off welfare benefits, gets employed as a carer for a wealthy French aristocrat, Philippe Pozzo Di Borgo (Francois Cluzet), who had become a quadriplegic after a paragliding accident. The story follows the time they spend together, the development of their friendship, and basically how their encounter affected each other's lives. It's more comedy than drama, and it views societal stereotypes - physical disabilities, race, socioeconomic status - in a light-hearted manner.

I like feel-good movies, and I really enjoyed this one. It's definitely the best French movie I've seen so far. You will leave the cinemas with a positive vibe, believing that there is a light at the end of every tunnel (but sometimes you just have to really squint... behind a pair of binoculars), and that there is a glimmer of hope still for humankind.

Now to add the book to my reading list!