Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

The Upside Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 20, 2019

Director Neil Burger's (The Illusionist) The Upside is a remake of the remarkable 2011 French film The Intouchables. It's the fourth such remake and the first English language take on the film, which follows a wealthy quadriplegic and his surprising friendship with an off-the-street caregiver. While this version cannot match the original for charm, humor, and originality, it does work because the story remains the foundational component and the performances are first-class.

Phillip Lacasse (Bryan Cranston) is an extremely wealthy quadriplegic who has been confined to a wheelchair for some time. All the money in the world cannot return to him the use of his limbs or his late wife's life. He lives in luxury in New York and is working with his assistant Yvonne (Nicole Kidman) on the process of hiring a new personal caregiver, or "life auxiliary” as the position has been officially titled. Phillip finds himself bored by the professional applicants who either step over themselves or step too far in spitting out rehearsed verbiage and bland credentials. But when parolee Dell Scott (Kevin Hart) crashes the interview and informs Yvonne and Phillip that he's only looking for a signature to prove he's actually sought employment, something tells Phillip to offer Dell the job. He's hired against Yvonne's wishes and he and Phillip grow in friendship. The steady employment also affords Dell the opportunity to pursue is own artistic endeavors while trying to reconcile with his ex-wife (Aja Naomi King) and son (Jahi Di'Allo Winston). Meanwhile, Dell urges Phillip to advance an epistolary relationship with a woman named Lily (Julianna Margulies).

The Upside is fun and breezy and nicely counterbalances the levity -- which never pushes too far, embraces crass, or becomes the film's focal point -- with its dramatic content, including the bond Phillip and Dell form which extends beyond a working relationship and builds to a more soulful connection. The filmmakers obviously realize the dramatic power inherent to the story and do little to fundamentally change it. There's a commendable reservation at work here, a feel that the cast and crew embraced the material rather than individual hubris and worked to allow the story, not its points of construction, to dominate. While it does obviously hearken back to the original and recreates a number of scenes from it within a very similar narrative flow, it feels genuine within itself, respecting the original but offering enough to entice both returning viewers familiar with the original and viewers new to the general story.

Dramatic content is well served by the performances. Cranston and Hart prove to be a very good pairing, building a chemistry-laden rapport that accentuates the story details but also explores each individual's heart and purpose in the narrative. The feel for connective emotional tissue between the actors is palpable; it actually reflects the feel Phillip has for Dell on their first meeting when Phillip just knows Dell is the right man for the job. There's a sense tangible chemistry at work and, just as the characters compliment one another, so too do the performances. Cranston is quite good, of course, and this is some of Hart’s best work. The part allows him to wisecrack and have fun but it also allows him to explore a more dramatic angle as he fulfills his own dreams and finds himself as a man beyond someone mired at the low end of life. Hart’s character balance and humor restraint are commendable, and as he builds a legitimate friendship with a man who becomes more than just someone signing (figuratively, in this case) his paycheck, the feel for his character’s depth comes into focus. It’s a very nice turn for the actor who may be at home in a more zany part but he handles the deeper content with surprising and very welcome know-how.

The Upside Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Upside's 1080p transfer is strong in most all areas of concern. The image is typical of a digitally photographed new release. It's clear, clean, highly detailed, and abundantly colorful. It's very stable, firm, and accurate. Fine textural definition abounds, revealing complex facial features, including pores and thick facial hair, with shot-commanding depth. Dense city details are exceedingly clear, as are various interior locations throughout the film, including Phillip's home and a classy restaurant that plays host to a key sequence late in the film. Colors are rich and pleasing with a neutral contrast on display that reveals well-defined skin tones and accurate black levels. A bit of noise in low light scenes (a nighttime dialogue exchange in chapter eight or a theater performance in chapter 11) appears to somewhat distracting density and several more brightly lit locations also struggle with higher-than-expected amounts. Overall, however, the image's clarity, sharpness, and color reproduction rank it highly.

The Upside Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Upside features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film is dialogue heavy but dialogue is certainly not its exclusive sonic component. The track is quite active, perhaps surprisingly given the subject, with plenty of intense sounds and discrete environmental effects at work for it. The spoken word is delivered with the expected level of detail, firm front-center positioning, and seamless prioritization. But the elements beyond are what allow the track to shine. Nicely detailed operatic music flows through the stage on several occasions, always full-bodied and agreeably detailed in every instance. Spacing is wide and surround channels carry a properly balanced support component. The track folds in several interesting one-off sound effects, including blasting water in chapter six when Dell humorously tries to figure out a German language automated shower, immersive applause following a live opera midway through, and excellent depth to sports car engine rumble in chapter seven. The track additionally features excellent city atmosphere -- traffic, honking horns, other detailed sounds -- with pinpoint clarity and excellent natural placement. No complaints with this one.

The Upside Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Upside contains two deleted scenes, a gag reel, and several short, throwaway featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and an iTunes digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Included are Bedside Manner (1:13) and Tough Room (1:07).
• Gag Reel (1080p, 3:16): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Onscreen Chemistry: Kevin and Bryan (1080p, 1:02): A lightning-quick look at the actors' screen chemistry, intercut with clips from the film.
• Creating a Story of Possibility (1080p, 0:45): A rapid-fire plot recap.
• Bridging Divisions (1080p, 0:44): The film's embracing of positivity in its story of two men coming together through respect and compassion, even if they hail from different sides of the proverbial tracks.
• Embracing Positivity (1080p, 0:41): A brief discussion of the film's positive messages, cut to many of the same film clips seen in previous supplements.
• Presenting a Different Side of Kevin Hart (1080p, 0:48): A quick examination of Hart's performance, intercut with now-familiar clips from the film.
• The Upside Trailer (1080p, 2:37).

The Upside Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Upside is a rare remake that works. It's not quite as great as the original, but it's a solid English language translation that boasts two terrific lead performances. Universal's Blu-ray offers high end video and reference audio. Supplements may appear in quantity but offer little quality. Recommended.