The Upside (2019)

A comedic look at the relationship between a wealthy man with quadriplegia and an unemployed man with a criminal record who's hired to help him.

Jess' Review

Day Two. Another amazon movie, but this time an especially amazon-y movie in that it’s one of their originals. Today, Sam and I watched The Upside. Having ventured into the great beyond of the high street today, we returned with bountiful spoils, i.e. sweets. Already off to a good start, we thought we’d go for a comedy. Comedy isn’t always my go-to and I often struggle with it. I’ve got quite a particular taste which is either a bit weird a-la What We Do In The Shadows, or a bit silly along the lines of Tucker & Dale Versus Evil. (FYI, no hate. Tucker & Dale is GOLD. I’ll work on getting Sam to watch it...) But anyway, Sam made his choice and we watched The Upside. The Upside is based on true events, following the friendship of ex-con Dell (Kevin Hart) and the quadrapalygic billionaire, Philip (Bryan Cranston) who hires him as a ‘life auxiliary’. I went into this film knowing nothing about it, just the brief synopsis before we pressed play. And I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away. It seemed fairly mediocre and predictable. Perhaps a bit harsh, but hey, I’m a critic now. Come at me. Cranston is the stand-out for me here. I haven’t seen Breaking Bad (once again, come at me), but I can see his acting talents shine through even the most basic lines. He portrays Philip with tact and sensitivity, though I never felt that deeply connected to his story. Of course, his situation is highly sympathetic. But as a hyper-emotional film viewer ready to cry at anything, I found myself feeling blasé. I wasn’t that invested. However, I don’t think this is anything to do with Cranston - or any other of the actor’s performances. I feel the film just missed the emotional depth is was reaching for. Hart gave a solid performance as Dell too. Having only seen him in YEAR’S Jumanji and countless stand-up shows on Netflix, I was surprised at this more serious turn. He was funny, of course, and it does remain his strong point. But it was the gentle moments with Philip, or the tension of his broken family-life that I found most admirable. He wasn’t half bad. The plot was simple, but also, predictable. It seemed corny at times even - unrealistic. I found it enjoyable and got a good few chuckles along the way, but it was flawed. The film seemed long to me and my attention was drifting in the final act. I felt like The Upside was trying too hard to have a depth that it simply could not achieve. It was still feel-good and a fun watch but regrettably, a forgettable one.

5/10

---

Sam's Review

Day 2. Turns out, being a film critic is harder than I thought. Jess, my loving partner, gently scolded me for being too analytical in my review, and lacking tone. Which didn't hurt my feelings at all... Here goes my second attempt. Less analytical and more tone, hopefully.

We decided to risk it all and pop out. It felt slightly end-of-world-ish. Most shops shuttered with a rushed sign about the coronavirus. Queues wrapped around the few places that were open, lustfully watching through windows as shoppers ransacked the inside. I managed to get a bag full of strawberry bon bon's, buying so many under the guise that Jess might want some, all the while knowing full well that she's more of a chocolate lady. I feel like a winner. I also feel sick.

The point is, I felt like we needed something uplifting. So, for my pick, I chose the Upside.

Watching Bryan Cranston play a quadriplegic makes me squirm, selfishly inciting a riot of circumstances playing through my brain, all the risky things I have done in my life, and asking the question, what if they'd gone wrong?Once I get over my own anxieties, I settled into the film. It's too easy to settle into this film, perhaps. Shouldn't the disability issue be more central to the plot? I don't want to be uncomfortable in a film, but I don't mind if a film makes me think a little. It seems a little lazy. It's missing depth. It's missing heart. There's a Hart/heart joke on the edge of my mind, but it seems corny. Or perhaps I am lazy, like the writers of this film.

Similar to The Green Book, one of the strongest qualities of the film was the chemistry between the two male leads. Cranston and Hart compliment each other well, making me long for better friends...! The Upside is also inspired by a true story, which is fascinating. Unfortunately, that's where the similarities to The Green Book end.

Yet, the acting is decent, which you'd expect from Cranston and Nicole Kidman, and Kevin Hart certainly held his own. He's as charming as ever. It's a good natured film, but that's all it'll ever be. It just didn't try hard enough. One or two plot points felt wedged into the script, deliberately forcing the film in a certain direction. Though, as it's based on a true story, perhaps I am wrong. And there were some touching scenes, it's just that they were few and far between. The film had such great potential, that it squanders, seemingly content on mediocrity. And even the fact it's based on a true story can't save it.

Overall I was underwhelmed. Disappointed is a stretch, I wasn't expecting much. It's certainly passable, though perhaps not something I'll re-watch. I enjoyed it enough. Though, I enjoyed the bon bons more.

5/10