The Intouchables

A wheelchair bound millionaire finds his life enriched by a wise black man from the ghettos. Sounds like a horribly condescending Morgan Freeman drama or a Steve Carrell/Chris Rock buddy comedy, right?

Well, it’s neither. The Intouchables is a French film and a feel-good dramatic comedy about an improbable friendship. Credit the effortless, fun and hearty script that stays on the edge of melodrama and just shy of being trite.

And credit the chemistry of its two leads. Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy are excellent in this film. Omar’s grin is the most hypnotic smile since Julia Roberts’s smile first graced the screen. Yeh, somehow, this film just works and you realize why it’s become such a sensation in its native country.

Simply put: An enchanting crowd-pleaser. You’re likely to smile at least half the size of Omar Sy’s grin.

Award potential: France will likely enter this for Best Foreign Film. However, it’s too breezy to be taken seriously for that award.

The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks.