Laughter Instead of Distance
Nigel Farndale argued that the film gave audiences permission to laugh with, rather than at, people with disabilities. Philippe’s life is shown through romance, frustration, appetite, humor, and adventure—not solely through medical limitation.
That approach helped the film reach a broad audience. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave it an average grade of A, while Rotten Tomatoes recorded a 75 percent approval rating from 122 reviews.
The Criticism
British critics were sharply divided. The Independent described the film as a buddy movie that misunderstood its own condescension, comparing its setup to a wealthy white employer learning from a Black employee. Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph called it broad and unsubtle, though he praised the comic chemistry between Omar Sy and François Cluzet.
The disagreement centers on the film’s central fantasy: a rich, disabled man and a poor Black caregiver overcome social and cultural divisions through friendship. For some viewers, this is liberating. For others, it simplifies difficult questions about race, class, disability, and power.
An Unresolved Conversation
The film’s reception demonstrates why representation is rarely simple. A story can make disability more visible and invite audiences into an unfamiliar life, while still being challenged for the way it frames social difference.
Its achievement—and its limitation—may be the same: it makes a complicated subject feel emotionally accessible.