Friendsunited;An unlikely comic hit

　　最強拍檔;獨特的喜劇沖擊;

　　French film-makers are good at turning out sillycomedies that foreigners find unwatchable. Theyhave a better export record with highbrow,low-plot movies, set in chic apartments withparquet floors, that feel moodily French. Justoccasionally, however, they come up with acomic gem. Intouchables, directed by OlivierNakache and Eric Toledano, is one of those cleverlypitched, well-scripted, feel-good comic films typically crafted in Hollywood; it is a delight tosee that the French can sometimes pull them off too. With more than 4m tickets sold since itopened earlier this month, the film is set to be a boxoffice smash.

　　法國電影制作人擅長導演讓外國觀眾看不下去的無厘頭喜劇。電影的口碑也多為孤芳自賞和缺乏情節，多以別致的公寓，干凈的木地板為背景，讓人能感覺到沉悶的法國風格。然而偶爾，他們也會有好的喜劇作品。由奧利維那卡和艾力克托蘭達導演電影《不可觸碰》就是一例。該電影制作精良，劇本精心推敲，倒像是典型出自好萊塢的喜劇片，很高興看到法蘭西人能時不時突破自己。影片自11月初首映以來就已突破 400萬張票房業績，這部電影勢必會成為一部轟動票房之作。

　　Based on a true story, it follows the improbable relationship between Philippe, aquadriplegic aristocrat , and Driss , a gregarious Senegal-bornyouth from the banlieues, the grim housing estates that ring Paris. On his release fromprison, Driss is hired by Philippe in a moment of recklessness as a live-in help at his Parismansion. Philippe is warned that banlieue youths have no pity. No pity, replies thewheelchair-bound former paraglider wryly, is just what I want.

　　電影根據真實故事改編，講述的是菲利普，一個四肢癱瘓的貴族和Driss一位來自巴黎郊區破房子里的塞內加爾裔青年之間建立的一段幾乎不可能的主仆友情。Driss刑滿出獄后，菲利普沒有經過考察便立刻雇傭了他，讓他負責照顧自己在巴黎豪宅里的生活起居。當別人警告菲利普說這位郊區青年毫無憐憫之心時，沒有憐憫之心?坐在輪椅上的這位曾經的跳傘健將冷冷的回到：這正是我要找的。

　　Less deftly handled, the treatment of such a subject could have fallen into a number of traps.Instead, the film s light touch finds comedy in both men s handicaps: the one physical, theother social. Each, in his own unsentimental way, understands the other better than do thosearound them. This unlikely chemistry is captured in the opening sequence, when Drissroars through the streets of night-time Paris, funk music at full blast and Philippe in thepassenger seat, giving his employer the thrill of the Maserati he owns but cannot drive.

　　如果沒有巧妙的處理的話，這類題材的電影可能會落入俗套。然而，這部電影的喜劇亮點放在了兩個男人各自的缺陷上，一個是身體殘疾，另一個是社交障礙。但彼此都沒有感情沖動，都比周圍其他人能更好的讀懂對方。這種獨特的味道在影片開場就有所展現。菲利普坐在副駕駛上，讓Driss激動的開著自己擁有卻無法駕駛的瑪莎拉蒂，在夜晚的巴黎街頭馳騁的時，車里充斥著勁爆的音樂。

　　French critics have been thoroughly charmed. Le Figaronewspaper called the film faultless.Paris-Match described it as the best scripted, best acted, funniest and most moving that wehave seen in a long time. It has surely launched Mr Sy, a black comedian best-known for ashort nightly sketch on Canal Plus, a television channel, on the way to stardom. Bob andHarvey Weinstein, two Hollywood producers, have acquired the rights for America andBritain. Here s hoping that English-language audiences will get to see the original Frenchversion, and not just a remake.

　　法國評論家已經被這部電影給徹底迷住了。《費加羅報》稱電影無可挑剔。《巴黎競賽》這樣形容：我們已經很長一段時間內都沒有看到像這樣一部集最佳劇本，最佳表演，最有趣，最感人于一身的力作了。當然這部電影也使賽先生-這位法國有線電視每夜小品的黑人喜劇演員走上了星光大道。兩位好萊塢制作人，鮑勃和哈維.維恩斯坦，也為美國和英國的觀眾拿到了版權，英語為母語的觀眾也有希望看到這部原味法國片，而不僅僅是部翻拍片了。

　　Friendsunited;An unlikely comic hit

　　最強拍檔;獨特的喜劇沖擊;

　　French film-makers are good at turning out sillycomedies that foreigners find unwatchable. Theyhave a better export record with highbrow,low-plot movies, set in chic apartments withparquet floors, that feel moodily French. Justoccasionally, however, they come up with acomic gem. Intouchables, directed by OlivierNakache and Eric Toledano, is one of those cleverlypitched, well-scripted, feel-good comic films typically crafted in Hollywood; it is a delight tosee that the French can sometimes pull them off too. With more than 4m tickets sold since itopened earlier this month, the film is set to be a boxoffice smash.

　　法國電影制作人擅長導演讓外國觀眾看不下去的無厘頭喜劇。電影的口碑也多為孤芳自賞和缺乏情節，多以別致的公寓，干凈的木地板為背景，讓人能感覺到沉悶的法國風格。然而偶爾，他們也會有好的喜劇作品。由奧利維那卡和艾力克托蘭達導演電影《不可觸碰》就是一例。該電影制作精良，劇本精心推敲，倒像是典型出自好萊塢的喜劇片，很高興看到法蘭西人能時不時突破自己。影片自11月初首映以來就已突破 400萬張票房業績，這部電影勢必會成為一部轟動票房之作。

　　Based on a true story, it follows the improbable relationship between Philippe, aquadriplegic aristocrat , and Driss , a gregarious Senegal-bornyouth from the banlieues, the grim housing estates that ring Paris. On his release fromprison, Driss is hired by Philippe in a moment of recklessness as a live-in help at his Parismansion. Philippe is warned that banlieue youths have no pity. No pity, replies thewheelchair-bound former paraglider wryly, is just what I want.

　　電影根據真實故事改編，講述的是菲利普，一個四肢癱瘓的貴族和Driss一位來自巴黎郊區破房子里的塞內加爾裔青年之間建立的一段幾乎不可能的主仆友情。Driss刑滿出獄后，菲利普沒有經過考察便立刻雇傭了他，讓他負責照顧自己在巴黎豪宅里的生活起居。當別人警告菲利普說這位郊區青年毫無憐憫之心時，沒有憐憫之心?坐在輪椅上的這位曾經的跳傘健將冷冷的回到：這正是我要找的。

　　Less deftly handled, the treatment of such a subject could have fallen into a number of traps.Instead, the film s light touch finds comedy in both men s handicaps: the one physical, theother social. Each, in his own unsentimental way, understands the other better than do thosearound them. This unlikely chemistry is captured in the opening sequence, when Drissroars through the streets of night-time Paris, funk music at full blast and Philippe in thepassenger seat, giving his employer the thrill of the Maserati he owns but cannot drive.

　　如果沒有巧妙的處理的話，這類題材的電影可能會落入俗套。然而，這部電影的喜劇亮點放在了兩個男人各自的缺陷上，一個是身體殘疾，另一個是社交障礙。但彼此都沒有感情沖動，都比周圍其他人能更好的讀懂對方。這種獨特的味道在影片開場就有所展現。菲利普坐在副駕駛上，讓Driss激動的開著自己擁有卻無法駕駛的瑪莎拉蒂，在夜晚的巴黎街頭馳騁的時，車里充斥著勁爆的音樂。

　　French critics have been thoroughly charmed. Le Figaronewspaper called the film faultless.Paris-Match described it as the best scripted, best acted, funniest and most moving that wehave seen in a long time. It has surely launched Mr Sy, a black comedian best-known for ashort nightly sketch on Canal Plus, a television channel, on the way to stardom. Bob andHarvey Weinstein, two Hollywood producers, have acquired the rights for America andBritain. Here s hoping that English-language audiences will get to see the original Frenchversion, and not just a remake.

　　法國評論家已經被這部電影給徹底迷住了。《費加羅報》稱電影無可挑剔。《巴黎競賽》這樣形容：我們已經很長一段時間內都沒有看到像這樣一部集最佳劇本，最佳表演，最有趣，最感人于一身的力作了。當然這部電影也使賽先生-這位法國有線電視每夜小品的黑人喜劇演員走上了星光大道。兩位好萊塢制作人，鮑勃和哈維.維恩斯坦，也為美國和英國的觀眾拿到了版權，英語為母語的觀眾也有希望看到這部原味法國片，而不僅僅是部翻拍片了。