For this week’s assignment, I chose to watch the French film The Intouchables (2012). I chose a French film because I took four years of French in high school and thought it would be cool to see if I remembered any of the language. To be honest, I did not remember much but I really enjoyed the film. This movie touched my heart in a way I did not expect it to!
It is about a paralyzed man who is searching for a full-time caretaker. There are plenty of perfectly qualified people for the job, but he did not like any of them. Then a man shows up late for the interview, is rude and disrespectful to everyone in the room, and that is who evidently gets the job.
The two men start off with a rocky relationship but overtime they become unlikely friends. They form such a strong bond and become best friends. It was a lesson for the caretaker to be more giving and respectful and it was a lesson for the paralyzed man to be more accepting. Both men gain a new appreciation for life throughout the film.
They lived in a very wealthy neighborhood, which was much different from what the caretaker came from. He was originally from a poverty-stricken part of France, so this was a big change for him. Because of this, it made them very unlikely friends. The culture was very similar to that of our culture here in the United States. They traveled by car, ate regular food, had a normal climate. Obviously the only difference was that they spoke French and not English!
While I knew some of what they were saying, I relied heavily on the subtitles during the movie. I have never really enjoyed watching foreign films because I do not like subtitles, this movie gave me a new appreciation for them! I would recommend this movie to anyone who has the time to watch it. It truly is a beautiful story (based on true events, too!) and will touch the heartstrings of many.