Intouchables (2011)

What a movie! This has to be one of the most heartfelt story I've watched since 1992's Scent of a Woman. Story elements from Intouchables actually reminded me of the Al Pacino movie: An elderly disabled man befriends a younger man who gave him an adventure of a lifetime. Al Pacino's performance in Scent of a Woman almost convinced me that he's really blind; Francois Cluzet's performance in Intouchables almost convinced me that he's really a paraplegic!

The movie starts in medias res: the paraplegic and his former full-time nurse (Omar Sy) were driving the paraplegic's Maserati over the speed limit. They were caught by policemen, who instead of arresting them, escorted them to the hospital. It's evident that the two of them are great friends here and the rest of the story, told as a flashback, showed how their unlikely bond grew.

The paraplegic liked that this nurse was different. He didn't pity the disabled guy and he pushed his limits to live a little. He introduced the paraplegic to pop music (well, 70s disco music, really) and made his birthday party more lively. On the other hand, the paraplegic introduced his under-qualified nurse to high-society things, like abstract art (which fetch a whole lot of money) and opera.

Their employer-employee relationship had to end, however, when the nurse had to return home to take care of his siblings and their kids. Despite this, the two remained great friends.

What a movie! I find it powerful emotionally because it shows the dynamic between two friends of different backgrounds. It's lighter in tone than Scent of a Woman, too! 

And the best part... the music! movie put Earth, Wind, and Fire's September to good use. The piano solo Fly by Ludovico Einaudi is a masterpiece! I've downloaded it already... for repeated playing. :)

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