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| Les Intouchables |
As I may have made evident in the past, I am somewhat obsessed with all things francophone and when I discovered that there was a French film of such prominence in the film world that I hadn’t seen (apparently the 3rd most watched foreign languages film) I jumped on the opportunity to go and have a peek. I can say quite frankly, I have not been disappointed.
The film tells the clichéd tale of a rich invalid being
introduced to the lifestyle of a rebellious black guy from the banlieue with a
good heart. What starts out as a short term job that gives Driss somewhere to
stay turns into a cherished friendship. Somehow despite the stereotypes, including
being initiated into smoking weed and hitting shamelessly on women, this film
avoids the cheese entirely and simply makes you laugh.
The expansive disparity between class is stark and repeatedly
prompted throughout this film, but it’s Driss’ frivolity when it comes to Philippe’s
disability that charms an audience into seeing the funny side too. With lines
such as, ‘Where do you find a disabled person? Where you left him’, you might
expect to hear a collective, sharp intake of awkward breath in any cinema, but
Philippe’s acceptance of his disability (and indeed, the joke) settles us into
a calming sense of security. In this film, you are allowed to laugh.
With a beautiful soundtrack by Ludovico Einaudi only ever
interrupted by either Philippe’s choice of Vivaldi or Driss’ Boogie Wonderland,
this film manages to find a perfect balance between its sombre subject choice
and its optimistic ‘live in the moment’ atmosphere.
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