The Upside Review

The Upside is a fun little movie thanks purely to the chemistry of its core cast. This movie is inspired by true events and is about a wealthy quadriplegic who needs a caretaker and ends up hiring Dell, an unqualified Parolee. Through many trials, the two learn to become friends. Kevin Hart gives a fantastic performance. He brings his typical sense of humor to the role, but also proves his dramatic chops as well. Bryan Cranston gives a great performance. As the movie goes you care more and more about him and his friendship with Dell. Nicole Kidman gives an okay performance as Cranston’s secretary. She does fine with what she's given, but the script never gives her a big moment. All the other smaller supporting performances are weak, but do not play any big roles. Neil Burger’s direction is passable, but occasionally kind of poor. The script is good but flawed; the dynamic between Hart and Cranston is what this movie survives on. The overall story is good, but the way they execute certain things is baffling. The cinematography and editing are really bad. The camera shakes way too much during simple dialogue scenes to the point it can be nauseating and the movie cuts scenes short way too often. At 123 minutes the pacing is okay, but definitely has some moments that cross into boring territory. Overall, The Upside is a fun passable movie for fans of its cast, but for everyone else stay away.

6/10