Untouchable, dedramatizing limitations

Untouchable is a 2011 French film, directed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano. It is one of the French films that has grossed the most and has enjoyed the greatest success, being second in the ranking only behind Welcome to the North. The film has become a reference point on disability, because it takes us away from pity and drama and towards a more natural, less tragic and more positive vision.

Untouchable tells the friendship that arises between two very different men They come from completely different worlds. The film is inspired by the autobiographical book An unlikely friendship by Abdel Yasmin Sellou, one of the protagonists of this story, in the book, Sellou explains his friendship with a count, Philippe, who became quadriplegic after a parachute accident.

The two friends in the film will be: Driss and Philippe. Driss lives in the suburbs of Paris, he is of Senegalese origin and his life is not entirely easy; He has a criminal record, no job, and no interest in finding one. Despite the difficulties, Driss is a happy and fun man, very carefree and does not plan or worry about the future.

At the other extreme, we find Philippe, a very wealthy man who became a quadriplegic after a parachute accident. Philippe leads a monotonous and boring life and is overwhelmed by the pity he arouses in everyone around him. Philippe is looking for a personal assistant and conducts a series of interviews with different candidates, among whom is Driss. Driss goes there with the sole objective of being rejected, stamping the papers to prove that he has attended the interview and, thus, being able to continue collecting unemployment.

Surprisingly, Driss is hired, Philippe liked his nerve and wants someone who won’t look at him with pity, someone who doesn’t do for him what he can do.

What at first seems crazy will end up being a great opportunity for both of them, giving way to a true friendship. With comic overtones, with subtlety and with great success, Untouchable It invites us to see a kinder side in the life of a disabled person, it invites us to see life differently and to understand that friendship is one of the greatest treasures we can find.

Disability in Intocable

Philippe is tired of his life being a tragedy, of everyone feeling sorry for his disability., that everyone looks at him like a quadriplegic and nothing more. For this reason, he finds in Driss that lack of mercy that he seeks so much, he sees in him an ally to be able to enjoy life again, even if it is from his wheelchair.

Driss is tough, he comes from a poor neighborhood, but he is funny and always wants to smile. Both infect each other, they complement each other; Driss brings Philippe the fun he is missing in his life and Philippe brings him stability and the need to fight..

Driss is so carefree that he sometimes forgets that Philippe can’t move, which leads to some pretty comical situations. This comedy and This ability to see beyond his wheelchair is what Philippe was looking for, he needed someone who would see him as a man regardless of his limitations.

It seems that society looks with pity on those who suffer from some type of disability. That’s why Philippe needs someone who does not take pity on him, someone who does not make differences and who rescues his enthusiasm for living.. Philippe’s life is monotonous, boring and the people around him only feel sorry for him.

Philippe, despite appearances, still has hope and the desire to smile. His self-esteem was deeply affected after the accident, he no longer has the courage to date a woman and he doesn’t dare to have fun either, but deep down, he is a man who wants to recover his hope, rescue his inner child.

Driss’s ease and way of seeing life will make Philippe regain that desire, that he feels like one more, that his disability stops being the first attribute in his definition; Finally he finds someone who forgets his chair and treats him as an equal, without pity or compassion, with total normality and naturalness, seeing him as the person he really is.

Beyond the friendship between these two men, Untouchable It is a breath of life, even in its most bitter moments. You can enjoy and live in any situation, both characters have problems: Philippe because he is tied to a wheelchair and Driss because of his social status, his past and his family. However, together They manage to look at life with a kinder tone, accepting it and enjoying it, always living in the moment.

The influence of society in Intocable

As we said, Driss and Philippe belong to two different worlds, but what we must ask ourselves is to what extent social differences may have influenced their lives.. Philippe, thanks to his wealth, has had access to a good education that has made him a cultured and well-mannered man; On the contrary, Driss has spent his entire life in slums, has had problems with the law and has not been able to access education.

The place of birth and the economic resources of each of them will mark their lives forever. and, as a consequence, their problems will also be different. Driss’s family will be more linked to theft, drugs, marginality and living outside the law, while Philippe’s problems will be totally different. Two people living in the same city and yet with totally different lives.

The highest social classes are normally unaware of the reality and difficulties of the people who live in the most marginal areas; but, in the same way, The problems of a wealthy person may be different and not less important for that reason..

The problems in our lives have a certain subjectivity; when we are children, getting angry with a friend can be the biggest problem in the world and will cause us great suffering. Although in adulthood we may think that it is nonsense, in childhood traces are produced that mark, and the same goes for social differences. Money is not everything, in Untouchablewe see that the wealthiest man is also the unhappiest.

Philippe and Driss are two friends who complement each other perfectly, together they are capable of bringing together the best of their worlds.. Driss’s spontaneity and carefreeness will add to Philippe’s culture, so that they both feed off each other; Driss will have to make an effort at work, learn and, in addition, he will gradually acquire culture. Philippe, for his part, will learn to live in a calmer, more relaxed way and away from social pressures.

With a simple, natural plot and accompanied by very real characters, Untouchable It leaves us with a happy feeling, it makes us smile without losing our complicity.. The friendship between these two characters fascinates us, captivates us and invites us to worry less, to normalize the differences and de-dramatize them, to laugh at ourselves and to live and enjoy a little more, whatever the circumstances we have to face.

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