In the French comedy "The Intouchables," Omar Sy played a jovial ne'er-do-well, Driss, who takes a job caring for a wealthy paraplegic, Philippe (Francois Cluzet), and helps him rediscover the joy of living. Released in 2011, "The Intouchables" felt like a French attempt at American Oscar bait: inspirational, heartwarming hard to dislike, thanks mostly to Sy's sparkling charisma.
The makers of "The Upside," the American version, have their own ideas. One is to cast the comedic actor of the moment, Kevin Hart, as the caregiver, opposite no less a thespian than Bryan Cranston, as the quadriplegic billionaire. Another is to tone down the original movie's comedic aspects and refashion it as a glossy, serious drama.
That last seems like a clearly unwise move, but too late _ "The Upside" is here, written by Jon Hartmere and reverently directed by Neil Burger ("Limitless"). The film asks Hart to apply his frantic, spring-loaded persona to a serious role, and challenges Cranston, currently storming through Broadway as Howard Beale in "Network," to act from only the neck up. In their separate ways, the actors succeed, but they have little if any chemistry. "The Upside" is supposed to be about two men who change each others' lives, but Hart and Cranston seem mostly stymied by each other, like strangers whose party talk keeps failing.
The film deserves credit for toning down Driss' poor-and-happy vibe, though. Hart gives that character, now named Dell, a hard American twist, playing him as a surly ex-con. In his scenes with Aja Naomi King as his unhappy ex and Jahi Di'Allo Winston as his wary son, Hart is convincingly wounded and defensive; drama is definitely not beyond him.
The problem is Dell: What does this angry guy have to offer Phillip, another angry guy? This non-complementary setup leads to scenes that don't work. Sometimes they're less than amusing, as when Dell and Phillip hire a couple of sex workers; sometimes they're pretty icky, as when Dell fumbles around with his new employer's catheter. (Nice try, but you can't be "Driving Miss Daisy" and "Meet the Parents.")
The only winner here is Nicole Kidman, who as Phillip's assistant (and obvious love interest) takes a prissy, passive character and, by some magic, makes us love her. Otherwise, "The Upside" leaves us fairly cold instead of warm and fuzzy. You'd never know it was based on a true story.
