The Upside (Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, Nicole Kidman) – I never saw a Kevin Hart movie before. I like his stand-up routines, but I have never been drawn to his films. So I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Upside. Present controversy aside (his homophobic tweets from 10 years ago and his firing as host of the Oscars), Hart has been a reliable Hollywood star, appealing to a younger generation of moviegoers who enjoy his easy-going style and his comedic persona.
On the other hand, I have seen every Bryan Cranston film. Since his cameo as Gus Grissom in That Thing You Do, Cranston has tackled both likable and tough roles. Best known for TV’s Malcolm in the Middle and then the acclaimed Breaking Bad, Cranston has appeared in a slew of films as a character actor until his marvelous portrayal of Dalton Trumbo (in Trumbo) for which he earned an Academy Award nomination. He is the real deal!
The Upside is a remake of the 2011 French flick, The Intouchables, which was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Of course, nobody in the U.S. saw it but that hasn’t stopped critics and other snobs from panning The Upside, not because it is bad but because Hollywood dared to remake a “classic.” Nonsense!
The Upside is a “Hart-warming,” laugh-out-loud, fun film with tragic undertones. Like The Big Sick, which managed to find humor in a story about a woman who falls into a coma, The Upside centers on Philip, a rich author who became a quadriplegic during a para-gliding accident. Cranston plays the author, whose rage is unspoken but palpable. He feels cheated and cursed, particularly because his wife recently died, too. His affairs are handled by a female executive, Yvonne, played capably by Nicole Kidman (who is totally wasted as the third banana in this film). She is professional, doting, and serious.
They are in the process of hiring a personal auxiliary, a carer, to take care of Philip’s personal needs since he fired the last one. That brings us to Dell (Hart), a street-smart wiseass recently released from prison. Bitter and rebellious, he looks for work only because it is a condition of his parole. When he is sent to the Park Avenue apartment building for an interview as a janitor, he inadvertently ends up in the penthouse where the interviews for auxiliary are taking place. Of course, he doesn’t want a job, just a signature on his papers for his parole officer. Largely because he is crude, disinterested, and funny, Philip hires him against Yvonne’s objections. After all, Philip just wants to die and find someone who will honor his “Do Not Resuscitate” Order if he stops breathing, which can easily happen. Dell seems the perfect person to screw everything up.
Next follows the merry mix-ups, which usually turn me off. But there are incredibly funny scenes. Moving Philip to his wheelchair without securing him is hysterical. Teaching Dell to remove and insert a catheter is side-splitting. And there is a shower scene that is hilarious.
As funny as this is, there is a much deeper meaning to the film. Dell finds purpose and so does Philip through the unconventional relationship that is “based on a true story.” But to make it clear, it is the interaction of the two characters … and most importantly, the two actors … that makes The Upside work.
Yes, it is very predictable. And indeed, the real events couldn’t have played out in real life the way they do on film. And for sure, the original film is excellent and didn’t need a redux. But I am sure glad they did.
The Upside is harmless with two excellent performances and a story that is compelling and meaningful. These days, what more do you need to make it through an evening?