- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24
- Audio Codec: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
- Region: A (Region-Locked)
- Rating: R
- Running Time: 112 minutes
- Digital Copy: UltraViolet
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Blu-ray Release Date: March 5, 2013
- List Price: $35.99
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Overall
[Rating:5/5]
The Film
[Rating:5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(The below TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Film
[Rating:5/5]
Ever so often, a foreign film crosses the language barrier and exposes the essential human condition to audiences of all nationalities. The Intouchables, co-written and co-directed by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, is based on the true story of an unlikely friendship between a wealthy quadriplegic businessman and his down-at-the-heels caregiver. In this case, Phillipe (Francois Cluzet) and caretaker Driss (Omar Sy) begin on uncertain terms. Driss, an unemployed Senegalese, seeks to get Phillip’s signature on a rejected job application so that he can get unemployment benefits. Phillipe lives in a luxurious townhouse, while Driss lives in an low end housing project. After Driss gets past his probationary hiring period, he begins to experience a lifestyle that he has never known. Over time, we see the bond beginning to form between these two very different men both trying to overcome their personal problems. Driss starts to understand his employer’s physically and emotionally limited life and proceeds to expand Phillipe’s horizons. Phillipe begins to see (and live) a very different, very liberated existence with the assistance of Driss. Between the discovery of pot, disco music, laughter, and his caretaker’s carefree approach, Philippe begins to get some joy out of life, his spirit finally outstripping his earth-binding handicaps. He returns to paragliding, the cause of the accident that left him paralyzed, and, with the romantic intervention courtesy of Driss, Phillipe opens the door to a new relationship.
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
This is a beautifully shot film in every respect. The details, the color palette, the picturesque backdrops, like the paragliding sequence, virtually everything falls neatly into place. The genius of this film’s cinematography is that through its frequent use of intimate closeups, it allows us to see deeply into the each character’s soul.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
The DTS-HD Master Audio surround soundtrack gives us a rich and deep blend of contemporary and classical music. The musical tracks are not only critical to the film’s atmosphere but are really the antipodal signature tunes of the two protagonists.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1.5/5]
There are several deleted scenes that were best left out of the final cut as they added little and would have detracted from the film’s tight construction.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:5/5]
In spite of the rather serious subject of quadriplegia, The Intouchables is laced with both dry and not so dry humor, enough to make one smile knowing that the tears are not far away. There have been other cinematic accounts of individuals with this condition, The Sea Inside, Beautiful, and The Bone Collector, but this film must rank up there with the best of them. Perhaps, the term “feel good” is grossly inadequate for what The Intouchables will do for its viewers. Its combination of spot-on direction, brilliant turns by the principal actors Cluzet and Sy, and unerring sense of place and timing, gives us less of an impression of overcoming physical limitations, and, more of the transformation of soul and spirit that is boundless. In all respects, this is easily one of the best films to come along in quite some time and one that easily receives my highest recommendation.
Additional Screen Captures
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BestBuy.com:
Purchase The Intouchables on Blu-ray at CD Universe
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BestBuy.com:
Purchase The Intouchables on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles on Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:5/5]
The Film
[Rating:5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2/5]
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