I got this movie at a Redbox at one point because I thought, at first glance of the cover, that it featured Dustin Hoffman and Idris Elba. What an interesting combination of actors, right? It caught me by surprise then, that Hoffman and Elba became Frenchmen.

Despite that setback, I found myself captured by the characters, the music and the scenes. Philippe, a wealthy Parisian man, a paraplegic, hires Driss, a poor African Frenchman from the ghettos to act as his personal hospice worker. Driss’ quirky, irreverent attitude on life and his clear distaste for Philippe’s stuck up, hoity-toity lifestyle becomes the immediate center of the relationship. But the chance hire quickly develops into a true friendship based on both the awkwardness that can only develop between a patient and hospice worker, as well as their drive to break as many laws as possible in the name of fun. 

This is a movie of comedic discovery. You will laugh as the two characters smoke marijuana, escape the police in a high speed Maserati chase, and dance to Boogie Wonderland in the middle of a uptight party. You might even cry when Driss faces family realities in the ghettos, experiences the beauty of opera for the first time, and learns to love oil painting. And you might even discover that movies like this can catch you off guard but still provide authentic characters, situations and stories worth being mistaken for.

Contact Matt Merchant at [email protected].