Line #3 Film/Intouchables


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image_0482.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''[[TagLine Sometimes you have to reach into someone else's world to find out what's missing in your own.]]'']]
3
4	->''"Be careful. You know guys from the suburbs have no compassion."''
5	->''"That’s what I want. No compassion."''
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7	''Intouchables'' is a 2011 French {{dramedy}} film, directed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano. It depicts one very unorthodox patient/caregiver relationship, and is BasedOnATrueStory.
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9	Meet Driss (Creator/OmarSy) --young, obnoxious, shamelessly living on welfare and freshly back on the street after six months spent... [[{{Prison}} elsewhere]]. With little ambition and even fewer employment prospects, he crashes a job interview for the position of stay-at-home nurse for a wealthy tetraplegic aristocrat, simply wanting them to acknowledge his attendance and rejection so he can remain on benefits.
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11	But when Philippe (François Cluzet), the tetraplegic in question, takes a shine to Driss' [[BrutalHonesty blunt and pitiless demeanour]] in front of him and his bedside manners that would make [[Series/{{House}} Gregory House]] proud, he decides to hire Driss on trial, betting that "he won't last two weeks". HilarityEnsues.
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13	The film ended up the second most successful film ever at the French box office. Creator/TheWeinsteinCompany distributed it in the US, with less than memorable results[[note]]Less than 19000 spectators, vs. over 19 million in Europe[[/note]], but that didn't prevent the film from getting an [[ForeignRemake americanized remake]]. Titled ''The Upside'', the remake came out in 2019, starring Creator/BryanCranston and Creator/KevinHart in the lead roles, which had reverse popularity - commercial success in the US and a bomb everywhere else.
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15	Not to be confused with ''Film/{{The Untouchables\|1987}}''.
16	----
17	!!''Intouchables'' contains examples of:
18	* BasedOnATrueStory: On Count Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abdel Sellou's.
19	* BavarianFireDrill: In the opening scene when Driss gets caught by the police he warns the officers that they will have blood on their hands if their don't let them pass. It works.
20	* BeardOfSorrow: Philippe grows one after sending Driss away.
21	* BlueBlood: Philippe. Other than the pedigree and implication of coming from OldMoney, it doesn't amount to much, given the story is set in modern France.
22	* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Philippe's daughter, who is using to her advantage both Philippe's condition and the fact that there is a grand staff in the mansion. First Driss, and then Philippe talk some sense into her.
23	* BrickJoke: After a lot of talk about ears being erogenous [[spoiler: we see the interviewer of the delivery company reaching for hers when Driss' comments amuse her.]]
24	* BrutalHonesty: Driss' shtick is being very upfront, without any ill intentions - he just never, ever beat around the bush.
25	* CanOnlyMoveTheEyes: Philippe's paralysis starts below the neck, which means he can speak and change facial expressions (and drive his wheelchair with his chin), but nothing else.
26	* TheCaretaker: Driss' new job is being a caretaker for Philippe.
27	* CostumeTestMontage: Philippe, before going to his date, checks various configurations of jackets, scarves and hats.
28	* CulturedBadass:
29	** Driss has become something of one towards the end, having at least some of Philippe's refinement brush on him, while still keeping his SimpleMindedWisdom of a LovableRogue.
30	** Philippe too. He's an art commissioner attending classical music concerts (and having live performances in his mansion), but he ended up in a wheelchair due to a paragliding accident and ''still'' glides, even if as a passenger.
31	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Both Driss and Philippe. Philippe developped a lot of self loathing after his accident and the lost of his wife while Driss is an ex convict from the suburb with a really difficult relationship with his cousins and aunt.
32	* DidNotGetTheGirl: Played straight with Driss, due to [[spoiler:IncompatibleOrientation]]. Subverted with Philippe, as he first refuses, then finally accepts to meet Eleonore at the end.
33	* DistractedByTheSexy: Driss points the fork at Philippe's cheek instead of his mouth when being distracted by Magalie walking by.
34	* DontYouDarePityMe: What makes Philippe want to hire Driss.
35	* DrivenToSuicide:
36	** Driss [[BrutalHonesty bluntly]] says that he'd be if he were in Philippe's place. Philippe [[LampshadeHanging instantly points out]] that he's in [[ICannotSelfTerminate no condition to even end his life]].
37	** Amusingly, this trope is later PlayedForLaughs [[spoiler: with Philippe's daughter]].
38	* EatingTheEyeCandy: Philippe's daughter does it when she passes next to a [[ShirtlessScene shirtless Driss]].
39	* EstablishingCharacterMoment:
40	** You know what kind of person Driss is just by his rather rude behaviour in the recruitment scene.
41	** Even earlier, in the first scene of the movie; Upon being pulled over for speeding, Driss deftly outwits the policemen by claiming that Philippe needs to get to the hospital, and Philippe even starts to convulse and foam at the mouth to prove it. Driss had earlier bet to Philippe that he could get a police escort to the hospital and he ''does'', and they drive victoriously along, all set to [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Earth, Wind & Fire's "September."]]
42	* FeeFiFauxPas: Driss, when leaving the interview, mentions that Philippe doesn't have to get up. He notices his faux par immediately.
43	* FeetFirstIntroduction: When the camera pans over the men waiting for the job interview, it goes for their shoes. All highly polished, combined with ironed trousers... and then it reaches a pair of worn trainers, after which Driss is shown in establishing shot. With this simple trick audience knows how much he doesn't fit there.
44	* GetOut: Driss' mother tells him to leave the apartment immediately.
45	* GilliganCut: More than once, Driss says there's no way he's doing something, only to end up doing it a few moments later.
46	* GodwinsLawOfFacialHair: Towards the end of the movie, Driss shaves Phillipe's face in preparation for his date. He has some fun with it, cutting it 'José Bové' style, then handlebar, before changing it to the infamous toothbrush 'stache. Proceed Driss coming up with Hitler-related banter.
47	-->'''Phillipe''': No. Please. No. No, no, no. No!\
48	'''Driss''': You mean nein! Don't you feel like invading countries right now?
49	* HowWeGotHere: The movie opens with a scene towards the end of the movie after Driss and Philippe reunited. Then we skip back to how it all started.
50	* IHaveManyNames: Driss is short for Idriss, but his birth name is Bacari. In addition, the man that inspired the character is actually called Abdel.
51	* IncompatibleOrientation: Driss spends a lot of time in the film hitting on [[spoiler:Magalie, who turns out to be a lesbian]].
52	* InnocentBigot: Driss is both obnoxious and ''very'' blunt when handling the issue of Philippe's condition. Which is in no small part [[DontYouDarePityMe why Philippe hires him]].
53	* JerkAss: The [[DrJerk nurse that replaces Driss]] qualifies, as well as Philippe's neighbors, who use Philippe's entry as their particular parking place despite parking being forbidden there.
54	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Played with. Driss can put Gregory House to shame with his rude behaviour. On the other hand, he is a genuinely caring and charming person, whose sense of humour carries the whole film, and who takes a great deal of time and effort making people around him feel better. By ''any'' means necessary.
55	* LipstickLesbian: [[spoiler: Magalie is a very feminine secretary and personal assistant to Philippe. She's always elegant, well-groomed and highly sophisticated in general - but much to Driss' shock, turns out to be a lesbian. Something that everyone knew, but deliberately kept him in the dark as a joke on his constant advances toward Magalie]].
56	* MaleGaze: The camera lingers on Magalie's behind when she walks by Driss feeding Philippe.
57	* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Driss to Philippe, as he will stop at ''nothing'' to make sure his employer-and-then-friend is happy, despite [[CanOnlyMoveTheEyes his condition]].
58	* NighthawksShot: There is a shot of Philippe and Driss sitting in a restaurant at night that is framed like the painting.
59	* NobleDemon[=/=]EthicalSlut: Driss. He's a small-time crook that was just released after serving six months, perfectly capable of playing up ScaryBlackMan archetype, openly smokes weed and hires hookers for erotic massage... but he's at the same time the heart of the film, who, despite his blunt demeanour, is the most caring and compassionate person around and someone Philippe can rely on no matter what.
60	* OddCouple: Driss, a WorkingClassHero employed as a caretaker by Philippe, a tetraplegic BlueBlood. Eventually leading into OddFriendship.
61	* PairTheSpares: [[spoiler:Yvonne and Albert, the gardener]]. It's even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Driss.
62	* PetTheDog: When Driss has to take Philippe for a ride he refuses to put him in the handicapped friendly car and instead make the extra effort to put him in the Jaguar. It's one of the first nice thing Driss do for Philippe who mostly wanted a merciless caretaker.
63	* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: Two third in, Philippe tells Driss to leave. He soon regrets his decision.
64	* ThePowerOfFriendship: While Philippe (obviously) remains a tetraplegic, his friendship with Driss gives him the will to have a less reclusive and more uplifting life.
65	* ProductPlacement: One scene makes prominent use of M&M's.
66	* PurpleProse: Philippe shows hints of this when dictating a poem to the woman he corresponds with. He is obviously a cultured man, but a great poet he is not - the poem is made of a lot of boring comparisons and little else.
67	* RaceLift: Driss, and by extension his family. The character is Senegalese in the film but the man that inspired him is an Algerian, Abdel Sellou.
68	* RealPersonEpilogue: Before the end credits, a [[https://youtu.be/rq2EnikiWp8?t=104 short clip]] of the real tetraplegic Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and his assistant Abdel Sellou is shown as both are WatchingTheSunset.
69	* ScaryBlackMan: Taking into consideration his posture, strength and [[spoiler:being a former criminal, who still likes to carry a telescopic baton in his bag]], Driss does fit this trope nicely.
70	* SexySecretary: Magalie, of the elegant variety. Driss is oogling her right from the start, but the camera itself often follows her in a lingering way, too.
71	* SimplemindedWisdom[=/=]StreetSmart: Driss is a low-brow street crook who might be BookDumb, but that doesn't make him stupid. His simplemindedness is also part of what makes Philippe take a liking to him.
72	* SnobbyHobbies: Philippe is a connoisseur of modern art and even drags Driss along to show him some. As a paraplegic, he can't engage much in sports he used to enjoy, but even so, their relationship lets him get back in the figurative saddle. Driss is all fine with luxury cars, but paragliding's not his thing.
73	* StrongFamilyResemblance: [[spoiler:Subverted]]. Philippe tells Driss that he can see that him and Adama are brothers. [[spoiler: They are actually cousins.]]
74	* TerribleIntervieweesMontage: From the viewpoint of Philippe. All the applicants we see in the beginning are not edgy enough, until Driss shows up.
75	* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]]. Driss doesn't really understand modern art, to the point where he heavily mocks it; then he tries his hand at abstract painting. He starts with the intent of making a mockery out of it, but the painting itself turns out quite profitable when Philippe sells it as the work of an "up-and-coming artist" - to [[MagnificentBastard mess with the snobby, snooty people he buys art from]].
76	* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Driss is attracted to Magalie, Philippe's redheaded secretary.
77	* WorstAid: When Driss learns that Phillipe's daughter has attempted to commit suicide via Immodium, he jokes that next, she'll overdose on Tylenol. In actuality, Tylenol is very easy to overdose on. Twice the prescribed dosage can easily create irreversible liver damage in many people. Downing a larger amount can doom you to a slow and painful death, even if you seek medical aid immediately.
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Context Film / Intouchables