23. The Upside; movie review

THE UPSIDE
Cert 12A
126 mins

BBFC advice: Contains scenes of drug misuse, moderate sex references, language

Blimey, this was a risk. To remake a movie as good as Untouchable, the hilarious and poignant French comedy-drama could have backfired horribly.
But while it is not quite as good as the original, I can report that there is much to recommend Neil Burger's The Upside.
And the added bonus is that Kevin Hart rises to the challenge of not being... Kevin Hart.
He plays Dell, a New York criminal who has to prove he is trying to get work as part of his parole conditions.
After collecting signatures to evidence that he has attended interviews without expecting or even trying to be successful, he alights upon Phillip (Bryan Cranston), a billionaire quadriplegic.
The latter has advertised for a live-in life auxiliary to help him with his day-to-day needs and Dell is the least qualified of the candidates.

But, because Philip is wanting to shake things up, he opts for the mouthy but natural Dell.
If this seems a tad unlikely we need to remember it is based on a true story and that part is not embellished.
Others are and there are, of course, differences to Untouchable - largely because The Upside is based in the exaggerated surroundings of New York.
Consequently, Dell's upbringing is erratic and his relationship with his ex-girlfriend (Aja Naomi King) and son (Jahi Di'Allo Winston) need work.
Meanwhile, Philip is at the other end of the financial spectrum and even has his own chief executive (Nicole Kidman) and dedicated personal trainer (Golshifteh Farahani).
As with the original, The Upside elicits a feel-good glow - largely because Philip and Dell learn so much from each other.
Burger's film has been a box office success and yet I have read many unflattering reports.
They all tend to lean towards persuading readers to watch Untouchable instead but in doing so they miss a point.
Put simply, many people can't be bothered with subtitles and many only pay money to see Hollywood stars.
Therefore, seeing Hart give one of his best-ever performances, the ever-reliable Cranston step up to the mark and Kidman give a bit of a twinkle in support, will attract greater audiences.
My argument was backed up by a busy screen one at Nottingham Cineworld on Sunday.
They laughed and they might even have cried.

Reasons to watch: Story with a feelgood factor not lost in translation
Reasons to avoid: Ok - the original is better

Laughs: Six
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? The Upside is a remake of the acclaimed French hit Untouchables. 

The final word - Bryan Cranston: “Our responsibility is to make an entertaining film. If the underlying tone can be felt, that these issues are present, then we’ve really done well and maybe, hopefully, it will get people to do something or start a conversation about it.” The Parade

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