The Upside: A Memoir (Movie Tie-In Edition) [Paperback]

The acclaimed true story of an aristocrat, a con man, and the friendship that transformed them both, now the inspiration for a major motion picture starring Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, and Nicole Kidman.

Abdel Sellou and Philippe Pozzo di Borgo were two people marginalized by society: Sellou a wisecracking, unemployed immigrant, just out on parole; Pozzo a man born to wealth and privilege, recently paralyzed from the neck down after a paragliding accident. How they came to help each other, and the unlikely friendship that became a lifeline for them both, is an uplifting story that's now been told and retold around the world.

In this bestselling memoir, Sellou shows us the irreverent, real-life character behind Kevin Hart's smiling face. The book takes us from Sellou's childhood spent stealing candy from the local grocery store to his career as a pickpocket and scam artist, to his unexpected employment as a companion for a quadriplegic. Sellou tells his story with a stunning amount of talent, humor, style, and--though he denies that he has any--humility.

Abdel Sellounow lives in Algeria with his wife and three children, where he runs a chicken farm. He remains close to Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, who lives in Morocco with his second wife and two children.


The screenplay...cleverly uses the structure of a romantic comedy to frame the (platonic) friendship between two very different men... Their interaction is defined by feelings of love and amity... This is a buddy movie where the friendship doesn't play second fiddle to overblown action or raunchy comedy.
James Berardinelli, Reel Views If you're looking for a lightweight summer change of pace, with just a smidgen of Continental flair, here it is.
James O'Hehir, Salon You will laugh; you will cry.
A. O. Scott, The New York Times It's Earth Wind & Fire vs. lóå