The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Director: Julian Schnabel
Writer: Ronald Harwood (screenplay) and Jean-Dominique Bauby (novel)
Genre: Biography/Drama
Story
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is the painfully true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby and his sudden coma. Jean-Do (Mathieu Amalric), as they call him in the hospital, had plenty going for him even though his life was not ideal socially. He had an ex-wife and kids and a girlfriend, but at least he had a great job. His relationships even with his kids were not going well and then one day he suddenly had spasms and went into a coma. When he wakes from his coma he is paralyzed completely. The doctors inform him it is a very rare physical condition which he is unlikely to recover from. The rest of the movie follows Jean-Do and how he tries to deal with the life he has had to leave behind and the new people he meets that take care of him.
Everything Else
The directing by Julian Schnabel was some of the best I have seen in a good while. The way the film brings its audience into Jean-Do’s world and lets them see things from his point of view was amazing. The film starts from Jean-Do’s point of view and slowly goes to a third person view of the story. Many blurry, out of focus, and color changing sequences filled the screen, making the viewer feel more related to the main character. Schnabel makes it very easy for the viewer to get emotional about Jean-Do’s situation.
The character interactions worked great even with sometimes being quite awkward. The nurses and therapists would get frustrated and cause awkward situations, but these situations felt as real and sincere as could be. The acting on all parts was great including the especially good performance by Mathieu Amalric. The soundtrack for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was also very fitting. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly excels in almost every department, but it is the engrossing emotion which catapults this film to award winning levels.
The Real Deal
Megan picked this one out at Blockbuster and we enjoyed an unexpected treat. This film was far better than I thought it was going to be by looking at the cover. The cover was filled with awards and nominations, but that doesn’t always mean much. In the case of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly though, it meant a lot. This film is certainly not for those looking for a lighthearted and happy film, but if you are looking for a truly great film this is it. From the beginning of the film you are plunged into the sad story, but much like the main character you begin to have hope. Don’t miss this great foreign film.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 904,123
Sharon Movie? No
5/20/2008
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Dave's Movie Reviews is the place to find movie
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I started watching this a week ago. It started with a black screen, which I assumed was meant to be from the main character's perspective. I was thinking this was pretty cool until I realized after 5 minutes or so that the DVD was scratched. :-)
That is a sad and yet quite funny story. I am sorry to hear that, but it was cool at the beginning of this movie how it was completely dark and slowly worked its way into a waking state. I hope you get another copy of this one. Thanks for the comment!
I loved "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", but the movie I'd rather see is "My Stroke of Insight", which is the amazing bestselling book by Dr Jill Bolte Taylor. It is an incredible story and there's a happy ending. She was a 37 year old Harvard brain scientist who had a stroke in the left half of her brain. The story is about how she fully recovered, what she learned and experienced, and it teaches a lot about how to live a better life. Her TEDTalk at TED dot com is fantastic too. It's been spread online millions of times and you'll see why!
Post a Comment