The Intouchables

I cannot give this movie enough praise! I think really powerful movies must have three things... compelling characters, a meaningful story line, and effortless flow. Needless to say The Intouchables possesses these in abundance. Plus, this movie is based on a true story. So we have Philippe (Francois Cluzet), a wealthy widower who is a quadriplegic. He and his assistant are interviewing for a new caretaker. One after another comes conservative young men in sweater vests and khakis with health care qualifications and experience until Driss (Omar Sy) storms in. Driss is an alarmingly tall intimidating man wearing a  baggy sweat shirt and jeans yelling that he's tired of waiting. He makes it clear that he has no interest in the job and only wants his paper signed to get unemployment benefits. Unlikely as it may be, Driss catches Philippe's interest and is hired. Driss sticks around because of the lavish accommodations and the generous pay, which is a stark contrast to being homeless. As you could guess... the relationship has a rough start. Driss finds "babysitting" an adult man degrading and beneath him, but Philippe prefers this unsympathetic attitude to being babied. Despite their differences... their relationship ends up working, in fact, the two men form an unbreakable bond that changes both of their lives. I feel like I could never do this movie justice in a simple summary, you simply HAVE to go see it. What an amazing moving story!