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Drama Pick: The Intouchables (2011)

Not to be confused with the also excellent The Untouchables, Brian de Palma’s period piece about a gangster squad gunning for Al Capone, The Intouchables is a sweet and uplifting French dramedy about a rich, white quadriplegic (Francois Cluzet) who hires an impoverished, black ex-con (Omar Sy) to work as his live-in caretaker.

Don’t judge the film on that racially charged overview though, as directors Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano use the two characters to create a deeply felt, often hysterical buddy film that has a lot to say about France’s still-prominent racial and economic divide. Both Cluzet and Sy turn in fantastic performances, peering beneath their character’s oft-stereotyped exteriors to find two complex, appealing protagonists. The pair have great chemistry, building off each other’s strengths to impressive dramatic and comedic heights, while the supporting cast, including the gorgeous Audrey Fleurot and a mischievous Anne Le Ly, is also superb.

The Intouchables is one of those rare films with the ability to make you laugh out loud and then move you to tears – under no circumstances should you miss it.