The film “The Intouchables” directed by Olivier nakache and Eric Toledan, tells the true story of Philippe, a wealthy quadriplegic who suffered a traumatic paragliding accident. Because he wasn’t able to care for himself, he employed a young man named Driss as his live in caretaker, who happened to be a poor, lower class coloured man. The two men who lead immensely different lives become lifelong friends despite all odds, this afflicting story shares how unlikely ends can meet and how change can be exactly what you need to make you happy in life.

Philippe and Driss were very dissimilar, they shared different upbringings, social statuses, ethnicities, and backgrounds. At the beginning of the text the two men had separate goals and intentions, but as the story progressed, Philippe and Driss became closer and their connection grew. The storys objective was to show the reader that one should not judge a person based on rumours, stereotypes or vague impressions.

Some themes revealed in this text are disadvantage, responsibility and seeing some as who they are and not what they look like.


This text relates back to the world because when people see a person different to them, they usually assume that they are somewhat less, solely rooted in society’s shallow outlook. Judging and perceiving a person based on stereotype is a global problem, people are ridiculed for their race, sex, gender, and religion. e.g all muslims are terrorists, all women are supposed to stay home and participate in housework, all blondes are dumb and blacks are criminals. Innocent individuals are accused and categorized based on widespread opinion without the supporting evidence or facts.

This text effects me because i am guilty of judging a stranger based on rumour or someone else’s opinion without actually ever talking to them. I learn from Philippe and Driss’s story that i shouldn’t be fooled by popular belief and if i am going to have a negative opinion on someone, i should at least get to know the person before forming that perspective.

I recommend this film to anyone who is learning the french language, as it is a french film. I also recommend it to students as it is filled with many interesting themes and scenes that could be used in reading logs or essays.

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