Mismatched buddies
‘The Upside’ is this odd couple works
Two very different worlds collide in the odd coupling of “The Upside,” and, no surprise, the result is understanding and friendship. Despite this familiarity, “Upside” works. Kevin Hart’s Dell is just out of prison, woefully behind on his son’s child support, at odds with his ex (Aja Naomi King) and in jeopardy with his parole. In one of those only-inthe-movies moments, Dell interviews for the live-in caretaker job for Philip (Bryan Cranston), a Park Avenue billionaire quadriplegic. The least qualified candidate but so engaging, funny and direct, Dell gets the job — against the wishes of Philip’s manager (Nicole Kidman, effortlessly appealing — and does she ever stop working?). Dell’s life immediately changes. Paid thousands weekly, he can care for his kid and angry ex, learn about the rarified realms of opera, art, service and, most importantly, empathy. For Philip, mourning his lost mobility and his late cancer-stricken wife, Dell inspires a better perspective on living. It’s formulaic, yes, an upbeat spin on a similar situation that was used for tears in the 2016 hit “Me Before You,” where the quadriplegic billionaire kills himself. “The Upside,” breezily paced by director Neil Burger (“Divergent”), is actually a faithful remake of a 2011 French blockbuster inspired by the two men whose lives were first portrayed in a documentary. As a final benediction, that film ended with the real guys whose lives were being portrayed sitting side by side, imparting a gravity that this remake can’t realize. Originally set for release a year ago, the passing of time has given “Upside” a couple of moments that it didn’t possess in 2017, when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. First is its now poignant salute to the recently departed Aretha Franklin, especially the Queen of Soul’s soaring version of “Nessun Dorma,” Puccini’s stirring aria that Franklin sang as a last minute replacement for Pavarotti at the Grammys and brought down the house. As she does again here. The other is a comedic bit concerning Philip’s catheter, which was in the French original. Only now, given Hart’s recent Oscar hosting controversy over homophobic remarks, it loses its silliness and instead becomes a reminder of real-world issues rather than the unlikely but very real bonding of two opposites.