Sunday, May 4, 2008

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) PG13 - 4 Stars

The movie is in French with subtitles. A very intense little movie about the life of Jean-Dominic Bauby, the renowned editor of Elle France, and his tragic but touching demise. "Jean-Do" (Mathieu Amalric) was a wealthy playboy with and ex wife and three children. At the age of 43, he suffered a stroke that he never recovered from while on a drive with his son in their brand new car. The movie is filmed from Jean-Do's point of sight and how he uses his imagination to overcome his disability.

The movie starts out looking through his eyes. He's completely paralyzed other than his left eye, can not speak, on a breathing tube and as we watch his right eye is sewn up. Completely conscious of every movement but, unable to protest this fate.

With the love and devotion of his family, friends and patient rehabilitation speech therapists, he is able to communicate by blinking one time for yes and two times for no. He dictates with the blink of an eye, his book (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), to tell his story of the predicament he's in now. The Butterfly representing the beating of his heart and the Diving Bell as the suit that now weighs him down. Jean-Dominic Bauby died on March 9, 1997 just 10 days after his book was published.

Awards are numerous and include:

2007 - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Cannes Film Festival - "Vulcain de l'Artiste-Technicien" Prize.
2007 - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Cannes Film Festival - Best Director
2007 - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - American Film Institute - Best Picture
2007 - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Phoenix Film Critics Association - Best Foreign Language Film

Miramax Films
Director: Julian Schnabel
Writer: Ronald Harwood
Producers: Jon Kilik, Kathleen Kennedy
I viewed 5/08

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Welcome to the LAMB.
It's great to have you!