The Intouchables
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache |
| Products | Buddy comedy-drama film |
The Intouchables (, ), known as Untouchable in the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia, is a 2011 French buddy comedy-drama crafted and directed by Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache. Featuring performances by François Cluzet and Omar Sy, the film draws inspiration from the real-life relationship between Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and his French-Algerian caregiver Abdel Sellou, a story uncovered by the directors through the documentary À la vie, à la mort.
Premiering in France on 2 November 2011, the movie rapidly became the second highest-grossing French film in its domestic market within just nine weeks, trailing only behind the 2008 hit Welcome to the Sticks. In a Fnac poll, it was voted France’s top cultural event of 2011, securing 52% of the votes. It held the record as the most-watched French film worldwide with 51.5 million tickets sold until it was overtaken by Lucy in 2014.
The production garnered widespread critical acclaim along with numerous award nominations. Omar Sy received the César Award for Best Actor, while seven other César nods included Best Actor for Cluzet. Notably, five percent of the film’s proceeds were donated to Simon de Cyrène, an organization dedicated to assisting people living with paralysis.
Plot
During a nighttime scene in Paris, Driss is seen driving Philippe’s Maserati Quattroporte at a high velocity while being pursued by police officers. Cornered, Driss claims that Philippe, who is a quadriplegic, urgently requires hospital treatment; Philippe then feigns an epileptic seizure, persuading the police to escort them safely. Once at their destination, Driss quickly drives off.
The narrative then shifts into a flashback revealing how their friendship began: Philippe, a wealthy quadriplegic residing in an opulent hôtel particulier, and his assistant Magalie are interviewing candidates for a live-in caregiver position. Driss arrives primarily to obtain a signed rejection letter to maintain his welfare benefits but is asked to return the following day.
On returning, Driss is surprisingly offered a trial period as caregiver. Despite lacking experience, he proves adept by applying unconventional approaches. As he becomes familiar with Philippe’s disability, he helps with daily routines. A friend informs Philippe that Driss served six months for robbery; however, Philippe disregards this background, valuing Driss’s sincerity over sympathy.
Philippe reveals that his condition stems from a paragliding accident and shares that his wife passed away without children. Driss assists in organizing Philippe’s life and managing interactions with his adopted daughter Elisa. He also introduces Philippe to modern art, opera, and encourages him to explore painting. For Philippe’s birthday, a private classical concert is arranged; finding it dull, Driss livens up the atmosphere by playing Earth, Wind & Fire's "Boogie Wonderland", which delights the guests.
Philippe maintains an epistolary relationship with Eléonore in Dunkirk. Driss urges him to meet her in person, but Philippe hesitates fearing her reaction to his disability. He agrees to call her and send a photograph but instead has aide Yvonne send an image taken before his accident. Although they schedule a date, Philippe cancels at the last moment. Later, he invites Driss on a paragliding weekend in the Alps, traveling aboard his Dassault Falcon 900 private jet.
Driss’s cousin Adama arrives under false pretenses after receiving threats from a gang. Recognizing Driss’s family responsibilities, Philippe releases him from his duties, suggesting that Driss might not want to spend life confined to pushing a wheelchair.
Driss returns home to support his cousin while new caregivers are hired for Philippe. Subsequently, Philippe falls into depression, neglects self-care, and appears unwell. Concerned about his condition, Yvonne contacts Driss to come back.
Upon returning, Driss takes Philippe out in the Maserati once again—leading back to the opening police chase sequence. After evading the police, they head to the seaside. Following preparation for their outing, they dine at a restaurant in Cabourg, where Eléonore unexpectedly arrives. Deeply touched, Philippe notices Driss smiling outside as he begins his date. Driss then bids farewell and departs.
The film concludes with images of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abdel Sellou—the real individuals who inspired the story—together on a hillside reminiscent of their earlier paragliding experience. The closing caption states that they continue to share a close friendship today.
Soundtrack
- Ludovico Einaudi – "Fly" (3:20)
- Earth, Wind & Fire – "September" (3:33)
- Omar Sy, François Cluzet & Audrey Fleurot – "Des références..." (1:08)
- Ludovico Einaudi – "Writing Poems" (4:09)
- George Benson – "The Ghetto" (4:57)
- Omar Sy & François Cluzet – "L'arbre qui chante" (1:01)
- Terry Callier – "You're Goin' Miss Your Candyman" (7:18)
- François Cluzet & Omar Sy – "Blind Test" (2:21)
- Earth, Wind & Fire with The Emotions – "Boogie Wonderland" (4:45)
- Ludovico Einaudi – "L'origine nascosta" (3:12)
- Nina Simone – "Feeling Good" (2:53)
- Ludovico Einaudi – "Cache-cache" (3:51)
- Angelicum De Milan – "Vivaldi: Concerto pour 2 violons & Orchestra" (3:21)
- Ludovico Einaudi – "Una mattina" (6:41)
Box office
By 25 November 2011, after a month in theaters, The Intouchables had become the most viewed movie in France for the year 2011. The film drew over 19 million spectators domestically within sixteen weeks of release. On 10 January 2012, it broke records by maintaining the top position at French box offices for ten straight weeks. By May 2013, its earnings reached $166 million in France and totaled $444.7 million worldwide.
On 20 March 2012, The Intouchables overtook The Fifth Element ($263.9 million) to claim the title of highest-grossing French film ever. In July 2012, it ranked as North America's leading foreign language film of the year, surpassing A Separation.
The movie enjoyed widespread popularity throughout Europe, dominating box office charts for nine weeks in Germany, eleven weeks in Switzerland, six weeks in Austria, and three weeks in Poland. It also briefly led charts in Italy, Spain, and Belgium by May 2012.
Notable accomplishments include:
- Selling over 30 million tickets globally, establishing it as the most successful French-language film since at least 1994.
- Ranking as the fourth highest-grossing French-language film in the United States since 1980.
- Becoming Germany's top-performing French film since at least 1968.
- Achieving status as the leading French-language film in Italy since at least 1997.
- Securing second place among French-language films in Spain since at least 1994.
- Being the most successful French-language film ever released in South Korea since at least 1994.
- Holding the record for Switzerland's best-performing French film ever and second overall after Titanic since at least 1995.
- Ranking as the second most successful French-language film in Belgium since at least 1996.
- Topping French-language films' performance in Austria and the Netherlands since at least 1994.
- Being the fourth highest-grossing French-language film in French-speaking Canada since 2000.
- Placing as the sixth most successful French-language film in Portugal since at least 1994.
- Becoming the most successful French movie ever released in Japan.
| Rank | Country | Tickets sold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 19,385,740 |
| 2 | Germany | 9,000,539 |
| 3 | Spain | 2,580,856 |
| 4 | Italy | 2,495,738 |
| 5 | South Korea | 1,718,097 |
| 6 | Switzerland | 1,431,329 |
| 7 | Japan | 1,311,452 |
| 8 | United States / Canada | 1,143,200 |
| 9 | Netherlands | 1,056,026 |
| 10 | Belgium / Luxembourg | 961,820 |
Critical reception
The movie garnered predominantly favorable critiques, achieving a 75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 122 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7 out of 10. The general consensus highlights that Intouchables approaches delicate themes with care, succeeding largely due to its compelling performances and thoughtful direction. On Metacritic, it received a score of 57 out of 100 based on evaluations from 31 critics. According to audience polls by CinemaScore, the film earned an average grade of "A."
Reception in the United Kingdom
Upon its UK release under the title Untouchable, the film elicited mixed opinions among critics. The Independent dismissed it as a "third-rate buddy movie" that overlooks its own patronizing tone, unfavorably comparing it to Driving Miss Daisy. Robbie Collin from The Telegraph found it broad and lacking subtlety but acknowledged that the rapport between leads Sy and Cluzet frequently generated humor. Nigel Farndale, also writing for The Telegraph, emphasized the film’s commercial success in France and Germany, attributing it to audiences feeling allowed to laugh alongside, rather than at, individuals with disabilities, thereby providing a novel outlook on their experiences.
Awards and nominations
The film was honored with the Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix for best picture at the Tokyo International Film Festival, alongside Best Actor accolades awarded to both Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy in 2011. At the César Awards 2012, it secured eight nominations, with Omar Sy winning the César Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Driss, marking him as the first French African actor to receive this distinction.
In September 2012, The Intouchables was chosen as France’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards. It advanced to the January shortlist but did not achieve a final nomination.
Home media
In March 2013, the movie became available on DVD in the United States, and by 2022, it had generated significant revenue from DVD sales.
Within the United Kingdom, it was the second highest-selling foreign language film on physical home video formats in 2013, surpassed only by the Indonesian action movie The Raid. Additionally, in 2016, it ranked ninth among foreign language films in UK sales and was the second top-selling French title after Victor Young Perez.
Television
The film drew an audience of 213,500 viewers on BBC Two in the UK during 2016, making it the third most viewed foreign language film broadcast on British television that year.
Indian
In 2015, an Indian version titled Oopiri was directed by Vamsi Paidipally. This bilingual production was simultaneously released in Telugu and Tamil (under the title Thozha). Both editions featured Karthi and Nagarjuna in leading roles and premiered on 25 March 2016.
Bollywood producers Karan Johar and Guneet Monga secured rights in 2014 through their companies, Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment, to create a Hindi remake. Initially, Mohit Suri was announced as director. As of October 2023, Collin D'Cunha was reported to be directing this Hindi adaptation.
Spanish
The 2016 Argentinian remake titled Inseparables was both written and directed by Marcos Carnevale.
English
In July 2011, The Weinstein Company obtained rights to produce an English-language remake for markets including English-speaking countries, Scandinavia, and China. By June 2012, Paul Feig was attached as director and writer, with potential casting including Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx, and Idris Elba for Abdel; Colin Firth for Phillip; and either Jessica Chastain or Michelle Williams for a female role.
By March 2013, Feig had departed from directing duties; discussions began with Tom Shadyac as his replacement, while Chris Tucker was considered for Abdel's role. In October 2014, casting included Kevin Hart as Abdel alongside Firth as Phillip. In March 2016, Bryan Cranston replaced Firth with direction shifting to Simon Curtis, who adapted Feig’s screenplay. By August 2016, Curtis exited and was succeeded by Neil Burger, who utilized a script penned by Jon Hartmere rather than Feig’s original script.
Early in 2017, the cast expanded to include Nicole Kidman, Genevieve Angelson, Aja Naomi King, and Julianna Margulies. The project was initially titled Untouchable, but on 2 August 2017, the name was changed to The Upside. Released on 11 January 2019, this remake grossed $125.9 million globally.
See also
- List of submissions to the 85th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of French submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
External links
- Intouchables at AlloCiné (in French)
- Box-office Intouchables (in French)
| Award | Category | Nominees/Recipients | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| African-American Film Critics Association | Best Foreign Film | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Film Not in the English Language | Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache, Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, Yann Zenou, Laurent Zeitoun | |
| Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| César Awards 2012 | Best Film | ||
| Best Director | Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache | ||
| Best Actor | Omar Sy | ||
| François Cluzet | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Anne Le Ny | ||
| Best Original Screenplay | Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache | ||
| Best Cinematography | Mathieu Vadepied | ||
| Best Editing | Dorian Rigal-Ansous | ||
| Best Sound | Pascal Armant, Jean Goudier, Jean-Paul Hurier | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Foreign-Language Film | ||
| Czech Lion Awards | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| David di Donatello Awards | Best European Film | ||
| 25th European Film Awards | Best Film | ||
| Best Actor | François Cluzet and Omar Sy | ||
| Best Screenwriter | Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache | ||
| Best Foreign Language Film | |||
| Golden Trailer Awards | Best Music | ||
| Best Foreign Comedy Trailer | |||
| 27th Goya Awards | Best European Film | ||
| Houston Film Critics Society | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding International Motion Picture | ||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society | Best Foreign-Language Film | ||
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2012 | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Satellite Awards 2012 | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Omar Sy | ||
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association | Best Foreign-Language Film | ||
| Tokyo International Film Festival | Tokyo Grand Prix | ||
| Best Actor | François Cluzet and Omar Sy | ||
| Audience Award for Best Film | |||
| Best Foreign Language Film |
- Articles with short description
- 2011 films
- 2011 comedy-drama films
- 2011 independent films
- 2010s buddy comedy-drama films
- 2010s French films
- 2010s French-language films
- Films about disability in France
- Films about people with paraplegia or tetraplegia
- Films directed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano
- Films featuring a Best Actor César Award–winning performance
- Films featuring a Best Actor Lumières Award–winning performance
- Films scored by Ludovico Einaudi
- French buddy comedy-drama films
- French independent films
- French-language independent films
- Gaumont (company) films
- Satellite Award–winning films