The Reel Corner

Yeah! We are entering the season of more interesting films...

THE INTOUCHABLES
Francois Cluzet, Omar Sy
Directed by Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
Rated R


This award winning French film is based on a true story of Philippe (Cluzet), a wealthy quadriplegic, who hires a tough, inexperienced ex-convict, Driss (Sy), from the projects to be his care giver. What keeps The Intouchables in a class by itself is Driss, who is not there to solve Philippe's problems.
While Driss does help Philippe embrace life beyond his disability; loosening him up by getting him to smoke pot, use his sports car rather than the handicap van, and be more forward with women. It's not a one-way exchange.

By working with and spending time with Philippe, Driss is surprised that he is becoming a much more caring and responsible person, opening his eyes to his potential.

In the end, The Intouchables is a funny, smart, genuine story of an unlikely, but beautiful friendship, with terrific performances by Sy and Cluzet. It is a wonderful film that's a must see, and since there's word that an American version is coming soon, I recommend you catch the original now. (3 stars)

HOPE SPRINGS
Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell
Directed by David Frankel
PG-13


What happens when the intimacy of marriage is lost? Go to Hope Springs, a picture perfect, post card Maine fishing village where Dr. Feld helps you get it back.

The film covers a week of therapy between Kay (Streep) and Arnold (Jones), a couple married 30 years, who have drifted apart, and how they try to reignite their passion, which proves to be a very daunting challenge for both. Streep immerses herself in the role as Kay, the loveless, shy and sheltered housewife, demonstrating again why she is an award winning actress. Hope Springs is just what the doctor ordered for those married 10 years plus! (3 stars)

BOURNE LEGACY
Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Ed Norton
Directed by Tony Gilroy
PG-13


Treadstone, a secret agent program of the CIA, brought us Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), one of the more intriguing film characters of the past decade. He methodically and purposefully discovered who he was, who was responsible for his condition, and attempted to bring everything back together again. Even better, he was not a superhero; Bourne was just a guy who went through a lot of training. He was elite, but deep down, he was still one of us.

Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), a participant in Outcome, another experimental secret CIA agent program, has been tweaked. He pops pills to increase his physical and mental skills. He is still human, but perhaps a bit genetically modified. This splash of sci/fi does not help an audience connect with the new guy. Yet there was something about the film I liked. Maybe it was the excellent performances of Weisz and Renner.
I miss the musical score of the original Bourne series, as well as the mystery and intrigue. In Legacy, it's more about survival and the unimaginable relationship between pharmaceutical genetic engineering and the CIA, which proves to be combustible. (2 stars)

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