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The Upside

Worthwhile sappiness

U.S. remake of The Intouchables, the true story of an ex-con working as a caregiver for a billionaire quadriplegic, is superficial, sappy and predictable, but in fairness, so was the 2011 French film. The obvious downside is that we’ve seen it all before. The upside is that the strong, committed performances by Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart make putting up with a little sappiness worth your while. The actors make it work when everything else — racial stereotyping, lazy adaptation, odd-couple clichés, preachiness, the script  — is telling you it really shouldn’t. Nicole Kidman does a lot with a one-note role. 

December 20 (126 min)