WHAT’S IT ABOUT
Phillip is a wealthy quadriplegic who needs a caretaker to help him with his day-to-day routine in his New York penthouse. He decides to hire Dell, a struggling parolee who’s trying to reconnect with his ex and his young son. Despite coming from two different worlds, an unlikely friendship starts to blossom as Dell and Phillip rediscover the joy of living life to the fullest.
MOVIESinMO Review
The reviews from the other (White) critics would have you believe this movie is horrible or not very well acted. The truth is The Upside stars a comedian that not many White people understand. Most White people just don’t “get” Black humor and never will. The other issue is this is a remake of a 2011 French film called The Intouchables. The biggest difference between the two is the amount of comedy throughout. The Upside is more comedic mainly because one of the main stars is a comedian. Other than those few things, the last issue would be Kevin Hart’s past tweets. Something that has nothing to do with the film but as Dwayne Johnson has said: “This generation is looking for a reason to be offended; generation snowflake is actually putting us backward.” The Upside is a great movie with great acting from all cast members. Bryon Cranston as Phillip is amazing as a quadriplegic considering he can only move his head. Kevin Hart playing Dell, the not too intelligent ex-con was funny as expected while showing off his dramatic side. Kevin’s comedic timing keeps this film from being completely depressing given the subject matter is not something you want to take lightly. This “true story” leaves a lot untold and at times feels more like three different stories instead of one. There’s the story about Phillip. The very rich single quadriplegic writer with life issues. There’s the story of Dell, the criminal on parole that has made several bad life choices. Finally, there’s the story of Phillip AND Dell. Two people with nothing in common that don’t like each other but find a way to use each other. These three stories should have been their own separate movies. What we have instead is one movie telling parts of three stories leaving us wanting to know more about each one. Show me how Phillip made his money. Where’s his mother, father, siblings, etc. What’s up with Dell’s relationship with his family? Both stories should have had their own films. The only story that should have had more depth to it was the one about Phillip WITH Dell. Although you do get to see how they met and how their friendship grew, there’s a lot of crucial information left out. Overall, The Upside is still a great film that doesn’t disappoint.
OUR RATING – A DECENT REMAKE 7.5
MEDIA
- Genre – Drama
- Street date
- Digital – May 14th 2019
- DVD/Blu-Ray – May 21st 2019
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 1.85:1
- Sound – English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles – English SDH, Spanish
Extras
- Deleted Scenes
- Gag Reel
- Onscreen Chemistry: Kevin and Bryan
- Creating a Story of Possibility
- Bridging Divisions
- Embracing Positivity
- Presenting a Different Side of Kevin Hart
- Trailer