Pretty Best Friends Special Edition - DVD

Film: Whether it's uncomfortable and gloomy outside or the sun is shining, you can actually always use a real feel-good movie. A perfect example of a movie that just makes you happy and leaves the viewer with a big smile on their face as they head into reality is Pretty Best Friends. It was not without reason that the film was the most successful comedy of 2011 in its home country of France and was also able to break all records in Germany with over 8 million moviegoers.

Based on a true story, Pretty Best Friends tells the story of unemployed Driss (Omar Sy), who has just been released from prison and really only needs an application stamp to be able to draw unemployment benefits. But when he introduces himself as a nurse to the heavily wealthy aristocrat Philippe (Francois Cluzet) with his open and not exactly polite manner, Driss arouses the man's curiosity, who is paralyzed from the neck down. Spontaneously, Philippe hires the man and gives him two weeks to prove himself in his new job. At first, Driss performs his duties reluctantly and more poorly than he should. But little by little he takes a liking to the regular life and even builds up something like a friendship with Philippe. But then his past threatens to catch up with him again and destroy his new life right away, even before it has really begun.

Directors Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache have crafted this beautiful story about a more than unusual male friendship into a near-perfect garment. With a mixture of good comedic timing, well-measured drama and great emotions far from kitsch that seems too forced, the true experiences of the paralyzed Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abel, a man from the suburbs, were transformed into an enchanting cinematic fairy tale. The fact that Philippe's fate in particular is not approached with false sentimentality here, but also provides the basis for some wonderfully biting dialogue between the aristocrat and the very direct Driss, is very refreshing and contributes greatly to the film's success.

But the element that is crucial to making Pretty Best Friends so wonderful is the interplay between Francois Cluzet (Little True Lies) and Omar Sy. Both men deliver great performances in their own right. Cluzet is as impressive as a paraplegic aristocrat as Sy is charming as an articulate welfare recipient. His attempts to seduce Philip's attractive assistant Magalie (Audrey Fleurot) or his impromptu dance routine at a rather stiff dinner party are heartbreakingly funny. But it is only together that the two actors create a chemistry that makes this unusual friendship not only believable, but downright palpable.

It is also pleasing that the more dramatic aspects of Driss' environment are mentioned and also play an important role, but are not cannibalized to give the film any more social poignancy. The story is completely focused on the friendship between Philippe and Driss, and even if the whole thing seems a bit thick in the end, it doesn't harm the positive overall picture at all. The film exudes such an infectious kind of joie de vivre that it's impossible to escape the charm and endearment of the story and its characters. It's a film that makes you laugh out loud and sob quietly, that just spreads positive feelings that linger with the viewer for a long time. And that can now be repeated over and over on DVD and Blu-Ray!

Picture + Sound: The technical realization of the film can absolutely convince on the DVD. The picture is clean, the coloration strong and the detail representation more than satisfactory. Also the sound can be heard, however, genre conditioned no surround fireworks should be expected. Dialogue and music are well-matched, however, which is why the bottom line is a more than satisfactory good!

Extras: Who would like to see in addition to the main film still many nice extras to film, which must reach for the Special Edition DVD or Blu-Ray. Here there are on two discs just under 100 minutes of worth seeing bonus material. It starts on the film disc with a good-humored, but also informative audio commentary by the two directors and actor Omar Sy. In addition, there are the German and French trailers for the film. The bonus disc contains the remaining extras. The centerpiece is the 45-minute documentary Begegnungen, which reveals more about the true background and not only the two main actors, but also their real role models Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abel to speak. It is very nice that the documentary has even been dubbed for the German release and can therefore be watched quite relaxed without having to concentrate too much on subtitles if you are not or only barely able to speak French.

The rest of the extras are in original French with optional subtitles. It starts with a worth seeing Making of (approx. 30 min.), which offers a quite comprehensive insight into the production. In addition, there are eight cut scenes (approx. 8 min.), in which especially Dress is in the focus. There are a few moments worth seeing here. Why these nevertheless fell victim to the scissors, can be learned in the optional audio commentary on the cut scenes.

Rounding out the additional material on the bonus DVD are interviews with both directors and lead actor Francois Cluzet (approx. 8 min.). The 24-page booklet of the Special Edition also has some additional information to offer. Very good!

Conclusion: With Pretty Best Friends, directors Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache have managed to pull off what is probably the nicest cinematic surprise of recent years. The fact that this comedy, initially treated as an insider tip, has attracted over 8 million viewers in Germany alone into the cinemas and has earned over 360 million dollars worldwide, hardly anyone expected. For home cinema, the feel-good film has been given several versions. In addition to the single-disc version, there is also a beautiful special edition on Blu-Ray and DVD, which in addition to the main film in very good picture and sound quality also has some worth seeing extras to offer. And if that's still not enough, there's also a collector's edition with soundtrack, audiobook and more. But no matter which version you choose, absolutely recommendable is the film in any case!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp