The Upside Review

Looking at trailers for The Upside, I was expecting along the line of a comedy that was very down to earth.  With it's two leads having big runs in non-serious TV shows and films, you would think it a little bit. It has its funny bits, but the core of this is a drama, which some call a dramedy. This has been on the backburner for almost a year because of being bought by Harvey Weinstein and his scandals. All that aside, it's surprsingly good despite it's leads.

In the oddest castings, it pairs Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston. Hart is Dell Scott, a con who has spent serious time in jail. He can't do squat and his ex-wife and son don't want anything to do with him. Finding jobs ain't great, either. Needing signatures, he finds himself at an apartment complex and meets Philip LaCasse, a writer who can't move at all and needs assistance. Dell's out of touch and it makes Philip consider hiring him, which ultimately happens and the two have one of the strangest friendships and relationships from a working point of view.

From what I understand, it's based on a movie called The Intouchables, but I won't go into that since there's so much stuff that gets Americanized and vice versa. At first, it starts off rather goofy with Dell not paying too much attention with taking care of Philip. You see this in a number of comedies. After a while, he gets better at his job, and the two start sharing a bond and shooting the breeze. While his caretaker helps, Philip also has his issues beyond not moving. He has nightmares and some health problems, especially when it comes to his late wife, Jenny. Deep down, him and Dell need each other to get through their good, bad, and tough times.

The editing is to the point and even though it's almost two hours of a runtime, it doesn't feel slow. Hart is surprising in this role. It's not award winning, but to transition to dramatic scenes is worth noting. I'd say the opposite applies to Cranston, though more so with a few jokes and quips. However, he still puts on a solid performance and gives off quite a few emotions. The only other big role of the film is Philip's assistant, Yvonne, played by Nicole Kidman. Don't let her early scenes make you judge her quick. Yvonne is kind of a bitch early on, and rightfully so, but they ease the tension as Dell continues to work and help Philip. Other than that, the rest of the cast is well thought and play to the strengths of Hart and Cranston.

It has that suburban type feel with the cinematography. You get the sense of both Dell and Philip's worlds with where they are throughout the film. They make it a little gritty, but also a down to earth despite both character's situations. This also reflects in the script, and the struggles they endure. There are a couple scenes that are either cringe like or they take a little longer than usual, but there's not much else to talk about. The Upside is not as bad as you would expect. This will surprise you in certain ways. There aren't too many movies of this type for adults at the moment, so this is one you might have to make due with until there's more dramedies.

Score: 7 out of 10