Olivier Nakache & Eric Toledano
Untouchable is one of the most talked about movies of summer 2012 as it has taken Europe by storm.
Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano are in the director's chair for this heartwarming tale and I caught up with Eric to chat about the movie and the impact that it is having on audiences.
- Untouchable is about to be released here in the UK so can you tell me a little bit about the movie?
This is an unlikely friendship between two people who are the extreme opposite; one is an ex-con from the Projects who is hired by an aristocrat who is in a wheelchair after an accident.
They discover each other and they complete each other and they also saved by humour and this is the first point of the movie.
- This is inspired by a true story so how did you find out about this friendship and what was it about this story that you thought would make a great movie?
It was a documentary that we saw on TV - it wasn’t a very good documentary but it showed the relationship between them - and we decided to ask for a meeting with the guy in the wheelchair and his name is Philippe.
When we learned that he was living in Morocco we decided to take a plane to go and see him (laughs). After a good weekend in Morocco where we met him we began writing the screenplay - the story was really amazing.
I think that we are under reality in the movie but perhaps the reality can be too much for a movie and so we decided to adapt the story. We had worked with actor Omar Sy on many films before and so we decided to create a character that was inspired by this guy.
- You have slightly touched on my next question really I was wondering if you wrote the character of Driss specifically for Omar? And did you put any elements of Omar into the character?
We decided to show the documentary to Omar and at the end we had a big talk with him and we said ‘if you want to do that then we will do the movie.
If you don’t want to do it we will do something else. And he was like ‘yes I want to do the movie, you are my friends and I trust you’. So we decided to mix Omar’s personality with the real guy’s personality - it was a mix.
In real life he doesn’t know how to dance and he doesn’t have the jokes like Omar and so we were really building a mix between the two characters.
Omar has his own story as he grew up on the Projects and his mother was a cleaner and his father a labourer and so there were similarities between the two guys and we decided to make them one.
- But a great amount of responsibility comes with telling a true story and doing the people in the story justice - so how much did you feel that pressure when you were making the movie?
There were so many pressures with the world of disability because we decided to adopt a special humour to this story and this humour many time perhaps crossed the line.
And you always care about the reaction of the people who really do live this situation and are in a wheelchair - but the reaction was the total opposite of what we expected.
The reaction has been totally extraordinary, generous and positive and we received a prize from the minister in France for disability and she said in her speech that we did more to promote how we can adapt behaviour towards disability than many organisations of the last twenty years.
And I believe that we just have to see them without pity but as normal and you can build new relationships if you just chance your outlook. And we were so proud of the award because we did this by chance and not on purpose but if it helps many people than I will be so happy.
- François Cluzet is also on the cast list as Philippe so what were you looking for for this part and what did you see in Francois?
We made a comedy but to be taken seriously we needed a true actor to play Philippe - I don’t mean that Omar isn’t a true actor but he has never been in a dramatic film before. Omar comes from the Projects and he knows this guy.
But we needed an actor to be able to play with only his eyes and without the body so we needed a real performer.
Francois Cluzet is one of the best French actors and he is can really get involved in movies and characters. He has a reputation that when he is focused on the play you know that he is totally involved. We were lucky that he accepted and he does a wonderful job in the movie.
- Music plays an important role in the film. At what stage do you think about it?
For us music is one of the characters and we wrote the screenplay listening to music all the time. We were looking for a medium between guys that are opposites and music is a good medium.
We are big fns of Earth Wind and Fire and this music symbolises the energy and movement of Omar while classical music symbolises the culture of Philippe.
I went to the see Earth Wind and Fire in concert in Paris two or three years ago and it was not a big hit but recently I saw on post Earth Wind and Fire - the music of Untouchable. I was so proud because I was a big fan but I never thought that I would connect the audience with this group.
- The movie has done so well in France and now throughout the rest of Europe and it is a film that is really resonating with audiences so what do you think it is about this movie that is really touching people?
Many analyse the how and why the success but it is irrational perhaps and I think that we will have to wait along time to figure it out why.
But my personal explanation is that disability is a physical problem and a physical fragility and Philippe says that when you are in a wheelchair you remind everyone just how fragile we are.
Omar in the movie symbolises the other fragility and that is economic fragility - anyone can end up living in a poor neighbourhood and everyone understands how people can be degraded on a social level
So we took the two of the most scary things in life; physical fragility and economic fragility and we just but comedy on this. So it is a kind of therapy as you think about what you are scared of but you get to laugh about your fear.
This is the definition of a feel good movie; you can feel better after you have seen the movie and that this is one functions of the movie to take you out of your life for an hour and a half. I have no more ambition when I do a movie than to make a reflection and pass a very good moment to people.
- And Hollywood is already talking about an English speaking remake so what do you think of that?
First of all I thought it was a good idea because I was looking forward to seeing big named actors and now I am not sure because of the huge success of our film.
In England people can read subtitles and therefore have access to our movie but in America we have people who would never go to see a subtitled movie - so if you want to reach this part of the audience it is through a remake.
But when the movie works so well I don’t know what to think - I am honoured and I do think that it is a beautiful thing.
But one thing I do know neither Olivier and I will not get involved in this because we need to leave this adventure some day - we have a one year programme and now we have go to look to do something else.
- This is a fourth film for you and Olivier so how did the two of you meet and what is the secret to this partnership?
I think that we are totally different - just like the two characters of our movie - and we have completely different ways of thinking.
We have known each other since we were teenagers and we have brought together our personalities and lives - we are both married with kids - and we compliment each other.
It works, I don’t know how but it works. We don’t have the same qualities but it works.
- Finally what is next for the both of you - do you have any plans to perhaps moving to America?
We are working on a new screenplay that is an adaptation of a book. We were planning to work until yesterday but then we learnt that we are going to represent France at the Oscars so if there is a new adventure it is going to be the Oscars.
Let’s go and see if it is possible to win the statuette. Having one of those in my apartment would be great.
Untouchable is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw