The Intouchables
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You think that The Artist was the darling of French cinema? Mais non, for The Intouchables is not just the highest grossing film of the year in France but actually received more César nominations (their version of the Academy Awards) than Michel Hazanavicius’s Oscar-winning paean to the golden age of Hollywood. And if you need an encore, try this on for size: Since opening in November, the movie has made $340 million — a record for any foreign-language film not made or released in the U.S. (until now).
So what’s all the fuss about? It’s inspired by the true story of Abdel Sellou, an African-immigrant ex-con who looks after a wealthy aristocrat rendered a paraplegic after a paragliding accident. As our Richard Corliss points out, “it’s an opposites-attract, getting-to-know-you buddy comedy with a tender edge and a sweet center.” No wonder that The Weinstein Company is yet again banking on promoting the heck out of French foreign fare – it didn’t go too badly last time out.
And the critics are similarly charmed. The New York Times happily goes along with the ride, figuring out that resistance is futile. “It is possible to summarize the experience of watching The Intouchables in nine words: You will laugh; you will cry; you will cringe.” And the Wall Street Journal puts a typically sobering tone on proceedings, noting that, “the film fulfills its feel-good promise, as long as it’s seen as the fairy tale it was meant to be.” You sense that, for everyone involved, there will be a happy ending.
MORE: More About The Intouchables
NewsFeed’s Flicks Pick: A stronger than usual week means that you might not be let down by any of these three movies. But Moonrise Kingdom gets our vote, though the ambitious among you should consider making it a double bill with France’s huge hit.