“The Upside”? This Unnecessary Remake Might Be Good

The Intouchables is one of my favorite movies of the decade. A beautiful, uplifting French drama, featured Omar Sy in one of the most infectious performances of the decade. When a remake was announced a few years ago, I dreaded it. The film premiered at the 2017 Toronto Film Festival to decent reviews. But when the Weinstein Company went through its bankruptcy, it was possible this movie might never see the light of day.

But now STX has rescued it, and it's getting a January 2019 release date. That's not exactly a vote of confidence, but considering it might never have even got a theatrical release, the cast and crew have got to be pleased.

Kevin Hart takes on Sy's role as an ex-con desperate for work. He answers an ad for a personal caretaker for a wealthy businessman (Bryan Cranston), and despite their differences, they hit it off. Nicole Kidman co-stars as Cranston's personal assistant. There isn't much in the way of plot, but the film should at least have some of the original's abundance of heart.

The Upside opens Friday, January 11.

About Kip Mooney

Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.