And now for something simple, absolutely crowd pleasing. That is the film presented by the Williams Lake Film Club next Tuesday, Jan. 22, at the Gibraltar Room, 7 p.m. Back doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the Gibraltar Room is located in the Cariboo Memorial Complex by Boitanio Park.
The Intouchables has broken box office records in its native France and across Europe.
The film is the official entry of France to the Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards 2013 and is one of the selected five contenders. Because it is such fun to watch.
However, that does not mean it is a piece of fluff.
The film does touch on serious subjects like immigration, poverty, and severe physical disability. But it does this in such a manner that you are thoroughly entertained all the way through the story.
And the story is this: newcomer Omar Sy plays Driss, just out of jail and trying to collect welfare. But first he has to prove that he is trying to get a job.
So he casually applies as caregiver to a wealthy quadriplegic, Philippe.
To his surprise and indignation he actually does get the job, on a try-out basis. The jailbird and the millionaire click, and Driss brings some new things into Phillipe’s life. Like taking him on fast rides around town, introducing him to marijuana, cracking quadriplegic jokes, and so much more.
Even more amazing is that this film is based on a true story. Philippe, played by Francois Cluzet, was the CEO of the well-known Champagne Vineyard Pommery. His real name is Philippe Pozzo di Borgo.
After his horrible accident he needed a caretaker around the clock and he chose 21-year old Algerian Abdel Yasmin Sellou, who just got out of jail. He actually ended up working for Phillippe for 10 years and they developed a deep friendship.
They travelled together many, many times and ended up living not too far from each other; Philippe with his second wife and two daughters in Morocco and Sellou with his wife and three children in Algiers.
The real Philippe and Sellou are introduced at the end of the film.
The film is based on the autobiography of Pozzo di Borgo, which was published in France in 2001 titled Le second souffle (The second Breath).
One of Pozzo di Borgo’s conditions when making this film was that five percent of the proceeds shall be donated to his foundation for the handicapped, called Simon von Cyrene. So far the foundation has received about one million Euros.
And this means that the proceeds of our screening next Tuesday, Jan. 22, will benefit two causes, mainly the LDA, the Williams Lake Chapter of the Association for Students with Learning Disabilities, and the Foundation for the Handicapped.
Admission is $9 regular, $8 for Film Club members, and $6 for seniors (65+) and students, HS and TRU.
Everyone is welcome to joins us to watch a wonderfully “happy” film, The Intouchables.