Short description: penis jokes. Long description: The Upside is a dramedy that follows the birth and growth of a friendship between Dell (Kevin Hart), a paroled ex–convict, and Phillip (Bryan Cranston), a wealthy quadriplegic, after Dell is hired to be Phillip’s full–time caretaker.
In true Kevin Hart fashion, Dell is loud, crass, and arrogant. His son refuses to talk to him because of his lack of presence at home, Yvonne (Phillip’s managerial attendant) spends the first half of the movie threatening to fire him, and Phillip calls him the least qualified man he could’ve hired to be his caretaker. But from the start, comedy in The Upside relies solely on Dell. His unrestrained lack of pity for Phillip strikes fear in Yvonne but fills the movie with easy, cheesy humor that can be summed up as in the short description: penis jokes. Fine, The Upside only boasts one (extra–long) penis joke sequence, but the shorter quips that fire between Dell and Phillip don’t stray far from the same type of humor. Usually I’m averse to Hart’s comedy routine, but I did end up laughing with and enjoying Dell’s constant cheer in the face of adversity.
But humor is the only upside of The Upside. The 2011 French film The Upside is based off of, The Intouchables, is superior in almost every way. The two movies share more than just the same true story: their opening sequences are both a car chase between Dell (Driss in The Intouchables) and the police with Phillip (Philippe in The Intouchables) in the passenger seat, and Dell’s first outfit on screen—black jacket, gray hoodie, blue jeans—is missing only the fuzzy collar Driss wore. But in spite of being so similar, The Intouchables still proves more heartfelt, thanks to the grace it gives Philippe.
A bonding scene between Dell and Phillip in The Upside, which is heavily showcased in the movie’s trailer, involves Dell shattering decorations in Phillip’s penthouse to relieve Phillip’s stress. Watching Cranston yell at the top of his lungs is moderately entertaining in the moment. But in The Intouchables, violence and loud releases of anger are never used to portray Philippe’s internal turmoil. Rather, when stressed, Philippe steps back and patiently sorts through his emotions with Driss, all the while cracking jokes.
The Upside treats Phillip with angst. It highlights him lashing out against the people who support him scene after scene, sometimes as attempted humor (shattering decorations), sometimes as a weak plot device (Phillip fires Dell in a fit of rage after being rejected by a woman). In a story about friendship and finding joy even in tragedy, Phillip’s intense brooding and temperamental explosions are exhausting. On the other hand, The Intouchables treats Philippe with poise and develops him as a kind man who is certainly jaded, but still willing to search for moments of pleasure in life. Both The Upside and The Intouchables are technically comedies. But Philippe is given the chance to hold on to his dignity and refine his humor using wit, while Phillip is reduced to a frustratingly immature caricature of what his French counterpart perfected.
The Upside is OK. I had a good time watching it, but I couldn’t forget how much I loved The Intouchables even when I first saw it as an early teen. The Upside was released only 8 years after The Intouchables, and is almost the exact same movie, only made in English and with poorer execution. I can’t think of any reason why it exists, other than for monetary gain or the appeasement of English speakers who refuse to watch movies with subtitles. Do yourself a favor—don’t watch The Upside when The Intouchables exists. Subtitles really aren’t so bad.
