By Stella Yanakieva

French pictures have always been a strong addition to the world heritage of the big screen and The Intouchables is beyond doubt one of the best contemporary films I have seen.

A Parisian quadriplegic aristocrat and a ghetto youngster build an unlikely strong friendship that charms with its humane, warmhearted plot twists. Two protagonists from two completely different worlds that both seem to have a hard time fitting in. Two outsiders, or better yet, two misfits.

Philippe is a millionaire who had the misfortune of getting paralysed but fortunately enough he never gave up on life. Driss, on the other hand, as an unemployed black chap from the Parisian ghetto that despite having his whole life ahead of him had somehow managed to only waste his time.

The Intouchables follows the meeting of the two and slowly builds the little moments that lead to a friendship that changes them both. Scene after scene that make you fall about the place.

The directors behind this successful French production, Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano jungle ably with serious content and funny moments in an absolute smart manner.

The main actors François Cluzet and Omar Sy further contribute to the movie with flawless performances and strong chemistry. Based on a true story, the movie finds a way to reach you and leave an imprint for good.

Last but not least, Ludovico Einaudi creates a mesmerizing soundtrack that adds to the atmosphere with his authentic, almost too bitter but nonetheless beautiful musical pieces.

There is a quote that goes like this, ‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.’

The Intouchables is a reminder that life is full of twists and turns, that time never stops and, most of all, that time is never enough to do everything we desire. But we all have enough time to be the people we’re supposed to be, to fulfill our dreams, and achieve great things. The key is to never give up, to always strive for something, to always find happiness, even in the darkest of our days.

The Intouchables is a powerful story – beautifully told – that pushes you gently to not be afraid to be alive and that’s enough of a reason to watch it if you still haven’t, or re-watch it in case you are missing some motivation in your life.}