The Upside

The Upside is the true story of an unexpected friendship between an older, wealthy, quadriplegic and a former felon hired to be his caretaker. 

The movie stars Kevin Hart, as Dell Scott, a man who has been making all the wrong choices in life, until he is offered a job by Phillip Lacasse, played by Bryan Cranston. It also stars Nicole Kidman as Yvonne Pendleton, who is Phillip's assistant and financial analyst.

I thought that this film was a pleasant surprise. It was full of humor and heart. The entire cast did a wonderful job. They had great chemistry and all worked really well off of one another. To me Cranston & Hart stole the show. With limited physical capacity, Cranston was still able to bring a wide range of emotions to the role. I thought that he had great comedic timing but was also able to bring other emotions that helped to make his character complex and one that you really connected with. In the past I noticed that Hart did too much. He would be so extra that the movies weren't enjoyable and corny. I thought that this was the first film where he really showcased great range in his acting ability, he didn’t just rely on his comedy. It was one of the first times were I was not annoyed by what I was looking at and instead genuinely enjoyed his performance.

The script was also well written, it had great themes of forgiveness, friendship, not judging people for the pasts or of what they look like. Additionally, the character development was also well done. You actually cared about these individuals and the journeys they were on.

In the end, if you are looking for a true story that is heartwarming and fun, then I would recommend watching this one.