‘The Upside’ is a feel-good movie about learning from each other

Posted on January 25, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

Back in 2011, “The Intouchables,” a French film based on the true story of a rich quadriplegic and an ex-con hired to be his life auxiliary — was a surprise hit, ultimately becoming one of its country’s highest grossing films in history. It was well-received around the world and remains #40 on IMDB’s Top 200 film list.

As Hollywood is apt to do with any successful foreign film, it has made a remake, “The Upside,” with Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) as the quadriplegic and Kevin Hart (“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”) as the down-on-his-luck ex-con. The movie is heartfelt and enjoyable, becoming the first hit of 2019.

As the film opens, we are introduced to Dell Scott (Hart), who is recently out of prison and trying to reconnect with his son (Jahi Di’Allo Winston, “Proud Mary”) and find a job, or at least put on a good show of looking for one. A misunderstanding leads him to the penthouse apartment of Phillip Lacasse (Cranston), who is looking for a new life auxiliary with his business manager Yvonne (Nicole Kidman, “Aquaman”). Phillip, who is depressed and just about ready to give up, hires Dell, who is totally unqualified for the job. Ultimately, they will both discover that they can learn from each other, and just maybe, they might be able to help each other.

I’ve been critical of Hart in the past for essentially playing the same role over and over, even in “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” whose entire premise was its lead actors playing against type. While he doesn’t reinvent himself here, Hart manages to tone things down enough to provide nuance and variability in his performance, which was much welcomed. As for Cranston, he has to perform entirely with his facial features and voice, and does a wonderful job as well.

This is feel-good picture that will make you laugh and possibly even cry, showing that people can actually help one another when we take the time to listen and be willing to learn.

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