The Upside

Starring: Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman, Aja Naomi King, Jahi Di'Allo Winston, Genevieve Angelson, Tate Donovan, Julianna Margulies
Directed by: Neil Burger
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A quadriplegic billionaire (Bryan Cranston) makes a shocking decision to hire a out of world ex-criminal (Kevin Hart) to be his daily caregiver.

Review:

Tim: I wasn't feeling too excited about watching The Upside. It looked derivative of a bunch of movies I've seen before and critics weren't impressed with the effort. After going into it with some trepidation, I was pretty surprised to find that I found it really enjoyable. I had a good time watching this movie and unexpectedly, I'd throw in with the supporters of the movie.

One quick complaint before I get into the more positive aspects- it bothers me that this movie is "based on a true story". If you read the true story that inspired this one, you'll find that almost nothing is accurate in this movie. The film took a basic premise that really happened and spun its own, entirely fictional account. This movie stands on its own, it didn't need to falsely claim any connection with "real" events.

I thought the movie handled the friendship at the heart of the movie really well. We have this unexpected relationship that becomes established between a wealthy quadriplegic and a down-on-his-luck man who has almost nothing. The story effectively establishes both of these characters, as well as their personal flaws that are holding them back. The other is a perfect compliment to them, as the other person challenges them in ways that no one else in their circle is willing to do. It's hard to believe any of this could happen as depicted in this film, but it makes for an entertaining story. Eventually, the story does become predictable. This is a life-affirming, uplifting film, after all. However, it doesn't mean the journey isn't worth taking. I think it's always worthwhile to watch broken people try to piece themselves together with the help of others who care about them. In the end, I appreciated these characters and I was hoping for their redemption.

A big reason this works is because of the incredible cast. I can't say I'm a big fan of Kevin Hart, but he gives one of his best performances here. The role is firmly in his wheelhouse, but it leverages his comedic talents. I found Hart to be really funny in this film. From his lack of respect for authority figures to his unearned confidence in himself, he's a memorable entertaining character. Hart brings his trademark humor to the role and it works. This film showed Hart in the best possible light and it's a reminder of how effective he can be. I'm a huge fan of Bryan Cranston and I thought he did an exceptional job here. It's obviously not an easy task to play a man paralyzed from the waist down, but he did it convincingly. It wasn't just the physical limitations of his performance that was impressive- he conveys a ton of emotions throughout the course of the film. Whether he's morose or ecstatic, Cranston shows off his range in this film. I thought Hart and Cranston made an unlikely but incredible duo. The two are very different actors and their pairing was brilliant. It was great fun watching these two interact so much together on screen. They are a huge reason why I enjoyed the film so much.

I also need to stress how wonderful Nicole Kidman was here. From the outside looking in, this would seem to be a small, throwaway supporting role. You'd assume anyone could do it. However, Kidman brings something wonderful to this supporting character. She goes through her own transformation throughout the film and it's wonderful to watch. Kidman has a number of tremendous sequences in the film. She has some great moments with Hart and she worked well with Cranston. It's a great supporting performance and she truly elevates this character to the point of making an outsized contribution to the film. It was fun seeing Juliana Margulies as well. She only gets a limited amount of screen time, but she makes an impact.

I found this film to be quite funny. I laughed numerous times throughout the film and was entertained continuously. Yes, the movie is too long and needed to be scaled back, but it's a minor complaint. This is a heartwarming story about humanity overcoming obstacles together, about atoning for past mistakes and building a brighter future. Sure, the movie is predictable. But it was enjoyable and fun. I didn't expect to like The Upside as much as I did. I know that puts me in the minority with critics, but I think they're wrong. This isn't a perfect movie, but director Neil Burger puts together one that I was very happy I watched.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



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