Movie Review: The Upside

The Upside

Director: Neil Burger

Starring: Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 125 minutes

Philippe Pozzo di Borgo’s story has been adapted to film multiple times, with the most notable being the 2011 French film The Intouchables. So, it comes as no surprise that Hollywood would eventually decide to tell the story again through an American lens for American audiences. And why wouldn’t they? The Intouchables was a heartwarming story of comradery and growth between two men from different walks of life (and different races, which is a theme that Hollywood especially loves). Movies like these are perfect feel-good flicks to release early in the year before the meatier films come along and push these smaller films to the wayside and out of mind.

The Upside stars Bryan Cranston as quadriplegic billionaire Phillip Lacasse and Kevin Hart as recently paroled Dell Scott. The movie follows The Intouchables almost beat-for-beat in the way it plays out, even opening similarly with a car chase that then cuts to flashback. Lacasse is depressed and suicidal, so he hires Scott as his life auxiliary in the hopes that Scott’s lack of experience and incompetence will be fatal. What instead plays out is, of course, a happier tale of two men learning about their differences and similarities and growing closer through their work relationship.

 Based on the initial trailers I’d seen, I wasn’t looking forward to viewing this movie. It looked like a sappy feel-good movie that used dramatic tragedy to force emotions from audiences. Movies like these tend to lose me because they feel like they’re trying to get cheap emotional reactions rather than trying to evoke genuine emotion through art. And after seeing The Upside I was mostly right in my assessment.

Lacasse is the pitiable character with the tragic situation and backstory, and then along comes Scott who also has a tragic situation and backstory. The movie is rife with stereotypes and tropes of the genre, from the two exchanging music tastes and appreciations (which, admittedly, I think they did really well in this movie) to the two sharing hobbies; Lacasse takes Scott to opera theater (where, surprise, Scott talks the whole time) and Scott gives Lacasse weed (which, again, the movie does well in creating fun and endearing scenes with this gimmick).

The plot follows the exact trajectory you’d expect. I won’t spoil anything, but if you’re familiar with this buddy-dramedy-type of film you’ll be able to call every major plot point. And despite this, the movie is undeniably charming. Cranston and Hart have great chemistry onscreen, and I enjoyed their banter throughout. While I like Hart as a comedian, I’m worried when he’s cast in movies because directors tend to let him adlib for humor (and it usually comes off as obnoxious). But here, Hart is working with a script. He’s forced to act. While he still gets his comedic moments for the Hart fans, he’s reigned in much more than he usually is, and it shows positively in the movie. I’d love to see him take on more dramatic roles in the future to see if he can really hone his dramatic chops. I haven’t mentioned Cranston much, but that’s because we all know he can act. He didn’t disappoint here, either.

Besides Hart and Cranston, the biggest name is Nicole Kidman who plays Cranston’s business partner Yvonne Pendleton. However, none of the other actors aside from our starring two shine at all. Which is fine, because that’s the most interesting relationship in the film. However, Kidman and Cranston have an enjoyably frustrating relationship to witness in the film that’s worth having Kidman for alone.

The Upside is a cliched American adaptation of di Borgo’s story, but that doesn’t make it a bad film. It manages to tell a sweet story that, while not perfect or even particularly good, does enough right and well to elevate it above its more mediocre predecessors. If you’re looking for a nice feel-good film for a date or the family, this is a great pick. Fans of Cranston or Hart won’t be disappointed.