The Upside: Mieux que la version française?

The Concept:

The American remake of a French experience. This movie is fun but unfortunately the weight of the original French version seems to be too much to let go of for must critics.  As of this writing the Tomatometer had it at 40%, Metacritic was at 46% and IMDB was at 63%. However, it does seem that those who are able to separate it from the french version and separate Kevin Hart from his usual form of comedy do truly enjoy it and I am one of those.

The Cast:

    Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart and Nicole Kidman lead this movie and known characters in new ways. There are a couple others that provide cameos like the wonderful Julianna Margulies and Tate Donovan. Plus Aja Naomi King who I’ve only ever seen on How to get away with Murder before. I was very happy to see her talents on the big screen. All these guys had great chemistry and for a movie like this, where its all about the talking, the feels and the relationships between them all, it paid off big time.

The Recap:

Bryan Cranston plays a very very very rich man (he could buy the mets but not the yankees) who due to a paragliding accident now has quadriplegia. Not only is he grieving the loss of his physical abilities but also the death of his wife (cancer). Nicole Kidman plays his right hand man. She cares for him deeply, could it be love? Then there’s Kevin Hart who has been released from prison recently and needs to find a job to satisfy his parole officer. He also needs money to support and get back into the good graces of his ex-wife(?)/ex-girlfriend(?)/babymamma(?) and son. Due to a misunderstanding Kevin ends up at a job interview to be Bryan’s helper and hilarity and heartfelt moments ensue.

The good:

• Bryan Cranston’s glorious beard
• So many laugh out loud moments: Kevin getting Bryan to stay alive because he needs the job, Kevin unable to say ‘penis’, Kevin’s business ideas
• The female cast is wonderful, they play their parts in such a powerful yet understated way
• Tate Donovan is just so good as a rich snob
• They didn’t shy away from the real depression Bryan’s character would go through with all his hurdles
• The pacing of the film was really good, I didn’t have any moments of looking at my watch wondering how long its been
• Bryan does a really great portrayal of someone living with a disability and reminds us all how they should be treated like any other person

The bad:

• The fact they must have killed an animal to create Bryan Cranston's glorious beard
• It can be difficult at times to take Kevin Hart seriously, to detach him from his comedian persona and see him as a character and not ‘Kevin Hart’
• Yes it is nearly a copy of the French original, yes the French original is more heartfelt… but come on it’s bringing a great story to a wider audience and it does so it a very enjoyable way
• Predictable? Yes. But! The fish out of water, learning each other’s cultures aspect was elevated with the chemistry, humour and talent between the actors

Why you should watch or not watch it:

Watch it! You will laugh and enjoy yourself. If you don’t then not even Kevin Hart’s character could help you realize life is worth living. Heck if not to just let Bryan Cranston’s talent wash over you for a couple hours. Is there nothing this man can’t do? This movie is all about his face and he made me feel all the feels with it.

Last thought:

Don’t compare it to the French version. Don’t compare it to Kevin Hart’s brand of comedy. This movie stands on its own, despite being a remake. It’s a fun and enjoyable time that you won’t regret giving a couple hours towards. Now I’m gonna go paragliding.