I’d been hearing a lot about this French film that’s based on the true story. Friends who’d seen it raved about it and audiences around the world have embraced it, but it still hasn’t been released widely in the U.S. Luckily, I was able to see the film tonight and what a treat.

A wealthy quadriplegic living in a Paris mansion and being attended to by an efficient team of staff members needs to hire a live-in caregiver. When a young Senegalese man shows up during the interview process fresh from serving time for robbery, he stuns everyone by announcing that he doesn’t want the job, just a signature on an application for government benefits. To his surprise he’s hired anyway, and so begins this comedy-drama of an odd couple who end up bringing out the best in each other.

The plot may sound predictable, but the performances are anything but. Both lead actors are terrific and, as the closing credits reveal, bear an uncanny resemblance to the real people they portray. Francois Cluzet as the rich man expresses a whole range of emotions with his eyes alone. And Omar Sy as the bad boy is flat-out fun to watch. I’d recommend “The Intouchables” to anyone looking for a heartwarming tale of two people who form a close bond despite coming from different worlds.