THE INTOUCHABLES was a huge success in France back in 2011, so naturally, it was decided that an English-language remake was needed. Cue Kevin Hart (NIGHT SCHOOL) and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) starring in THE UPSIDE, a drama/comedy centered around a wealthy quadriplegic (Cranston) who winds up hiring an ex-con (Hart) to be his live-in caregiver. The first trailer for the film has been released and I suppose it doesn't look bad, just unnecessary. THE UPSIDE actually debuted last year at the Toronto International Film Festival and was set to be released by The Weinstein Company, but the Harvey Weinstein scandal pushed the film back on the shelf.
Our own Chris Bumbray caught the film at TIFF and walked away with praise for the two lead actors. "Their chemistry is excellent, probably better than the French stars of the original, with it actually quite believable here that Hart and Cranston could become friends. This is partially because Hart plays this without ever resorting to shtick," Bumbray said in his review. "While still funny, his ex-con is unique in his filmography. Far from being as clean-cut as his family image suggests, his character is shown to be an ex-con/deadbeat dad, who’s trying to own-up to his past mistakes in an authentic way. Hart’s never been this good, and shows genuine promise as a dramatic actor."
THE UPSIDE will hit theaters on January 11, 2019.