“The Upside” (PG-13)
Fans are bound to be uplifted by “The Upside,” an inspiring comedy drama that’s heavy on laughs thanks to the magnetic presence of Kevin Hart and grounded in emotion thanks to the wonderful subtlety of Bryan Cranston. “The Upside” is far from perfect, but thanks to the winning combination of Hart, Cranston and Nicole Kidman in a pivotal supporting role, it’s easy to overlook the narrative flaws of the film and just sit back and enjoy the spotless work of the talented trio.
A remake of the acclaimed 2011 French film “The Intouchables,” “The Upside” tells the true story of a wealthy business author (Cranston) who was left quadriplegic after a paragliding accident. Feeling little incentive to live following his wife’s death from cancer, the author, Phillip, flippantly hires an ex-con named Dell (Hart) to be his personal caregiver, who applied for the job simply because he’s looking to fulfill his parole obligations.
AUDIO: Tim reviews “The Upside” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show” beginning at the 7 minute mark.
Despite the scrutiny Dell faces by Phillip’s business manager, Yvonne (the always terrific Kidman), the two men instantly hit it off, as Dell enlightens the lives of the everyone around him and Phillip regains some joy in life. But when the author is smacked with another cold dose of reality, their friendship becomes threatened and faces the danger of never being repaired.
The release of “The Upside” comes at an interesting time in Hart’s career as his Oscar hosting controversy has been dominating the headlines. Lucky for the actor, his naturally funny demeanor instantly makes you forget about any of the battering he’s been taking in the media and reminds us why he was considered to host the event in the first place.
The great thing is, Hart has an undeniable chemistry with Cranston, who has little to work with apart from his facial expressions. But anyone even vaguely familiar with Cranston’s work knows the actor has tremendous depth; and in the case of “The Upside,” it’s fascinating to watch the wheels in his mind turning as Phillip struggles to hold in the pain of a man who has literally lost feeling for everything. But Phillip’s loss is the audience’s gain in this case, and the emotion he projects brings a satisfying balance of heart and humor as film soars to its inspiring conclusion.
Lammometer: 7.5 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
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