The Intouchables English Version Instant
Perfect for fans of: The Upside (the remake), Green Book, The Bucket List
Here’s a review of The Intouchables (English version), which refers to the 2011 French film Intouchables — often watched with English subtitles or an English dub. (Note: There is also a 2019 English-language remake titled The Upside ; this review covers the original French film as experienced by English-speaking viewers.) Few films balance humor and heart as effortlessly as The Intouchables . Based on the true story of a wealthy quadriplegic and his ex-con caretaker, this French smash hit became a global phenomenon — and for good reason. For English-speaking audiences watching with subtitles (or the available English dub), the film’s emotional core remains completely intact. What Works Brilliantly 1. Electrifying Chemistry Omar Sy (Driss) and François Cluzet (Philippe) share one of cinema’s most memorable odd-couple dynamics. Driss is street-smart, brash, and unfiltered; Philippe is refined, isolated, and vulnerable. Their banter — often politically incorrect but always affectionate — is the film’s beating heart. Sy’s infectious charisma won him France’s equivalent of the Oscar, and it’s easy to see why. the intouchables english version
Unlike many “disability dramas,” The Intouchables refuses to pity Philippe. Driss treats him like a regular guy — cracking jokes, offering him a joint, even teasing him about his condition. This irreverence feels liberating, not cruel. The film argues that what disabled people often need most isn’t pity, but genuine human connection and a little laughter. Perfect for fans of: The Upside (the remake),
Subtitles (original French audio) — don’t settle for the dub. Driss is street-smart, brash, and unfiltered; Philippe is
Ludovico Einaudi’s piano compositions ( Una Mattina , Fly ) are stunningly beautiful, elevating quiet moments into something transcendent. The film also pulses to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” and other funk tracks, giving it an energetic, joyful rhythm. Director duo Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache keep the 112 minutes breezy — you’ll rarely check the clock.
“this is alas just another film that panders to the image Thompson himself tried to shirk – the reckless buffoon that is more at home on fraternity posters than library shelves. It is a missed opportunity to take the man seriously.”
This is an excellent summary on the attitude of the seeming majority of HST ‘admirers’.
It just makes me think that they read Fear and Loathing, looked up similar stories of HST’s unhinged behaviour and didn’t bother with the rest of his work.
There is such a raw, human element of Thompsons work, showing an amazing mind, sense of humour, critical thinking and an uncanny ability to have his finger on the pulse of many issues of his time.
Booze feature prominently in most of his writing and he is always flirting with ‘the edge’, but this obsession with remembering him more as Raoul Duke and less as Hunter Thompson, is a sad reflection of most ‘fans’; even if it was a self inflicted wound by Thompson himself.