8.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.4 |
A true story of two men who should never have met - a quadriplegic aristocrat who was injured in a paragliding accident and a young man from the projects.
Starring: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot, Joséphine de MeauxBiography | 100% |
Drama | 43% |
Foreign | 13% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Region A (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Yogi Berra famously said, "it ain't over 'till it's over." The wonderfully human The Intouchables serves to remind audiences that Yogi was right, not just about baseball but about life. The story of a wealthy quadriplegic who rediscovers -- and in many ways discovers for the first time -- the joys of living through the companionship of someone completely outwardly dissimilar to himself is one of 2011's best films, a truly joyous picture about the bonds of friendship and the pleasures of the heart and soul that may be found in everyday things, that may be discovered with just a little nudge out of one's comfort zone and into the many delights the world has to offer. Directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano have created a masterpiece in which the story is the bond and the plot is life. It's a deeply satisfying blend of drama and comedy, the two seamlessly entwined and perfectly balanced against a backdrop of simple filmmaking that achieves what so many other films cannot, and that's a genuine look into the essence of true happiness independent of either one's physical state or place in life.
Music critics.
The Intouchables sparkles on Blu-ray. This is one of those perfect transfers in which everything is in order and detail, color, and clarity are about as good as one's going to find on Blu-ray. Every scene springs to life with superior resolution and details so precise the image looks nearly as good as reality. Fine lines in Driss' leather jacket, flawless facial features, woven sweaters, or all of the subtle little ornate accents around Philippe's home look absolutely gorgeous. Fine, consistent grain remains, accentuating the positives and helping to give an organic, film-like texturing to the entire picture. Colors are fantastic; every hue dazzles with a natural flavor, whether rich woods, Driss' worn-down jacket, or the vibrant array of hues in a paragliding sequence in chapter fourteen; if one scene stands out above the rest, it's that one. Black levels are stupendous, and flesh tones flawless. The transfer reveals not a single blemish, which is to expected of a new Sony release. This is Blu-ray goodness and reference material from start to finish.
The Intouchables' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack offers a full, rich sound experience that's surprisingly active for a movie of this variety. Music plays a rather large role in the movie; there's plenty of classical and modern beats both, and both play fluidly and faultlessly across the stage. The picture opens with airy, gentle piano notes that play with a fine natural presence, pinpoint clarity, and the perfect amount of surround support. The sound quality remains unchanged no matter the style, place, or volume. Whether live orchestral classical music or catchy Dance tunes played from an in-film speaker, the seamless clarity and the ease with which the music seems to hug the audience proves incredibly effective, regardless of style. General sound effects are a pleasure, too; whether the revving of a car engine or the hum of a jet heard inside the aircraft's cabin, the track delivers its more aggressive and heavier sound elements with natural ease. Dialogue is clear and center-focused, always balanced and pitch-perfect, never lost under music or surrounding sound elements. The music, though, is the real highlight; every note is a pleasure and Sony's track delivers them all flawlessly.
Unfortunately, The Intouchables features precious few supplements.
In The Intouchables, it's what's on the inside that counts. It's a genuinely touching and heartfelt film because it's so joyful and simple. This isn't hard, life-lesson cinema but rather a pleasant, inward look at how living isn't just about outward abilities. It's also about deep bonds and experiencing even the little pleasures life has to offer, of escaping a routine and learning that there's more to living than just the mere act of getting by or remaining immobile not physically, but stubbornly by refusing new ways of doing things, new ways of living. The picture is gently directed and remarkably acted; precious few actors find more natural chemistry than do François Cluzet and Omar Sy. It's a perfect movie -- funny, touching, easy to watch -- that transcends barriers and speaks a universal language of happiness, inner growth, and personal and interpersonal satisfaction. Sony's Blu-ray features top-tier video and audio. It's truly a shame there aren't more supplements included, but Blu-ray releases just don't get much better than this considering only the film and its technical qualities. Therefore, The Intouchables earns my highest recommendation.
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La gloire de mon père
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