Moving and Stunning: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Advance Screening)
Directed by Julian Schnabel
To be released November 30, 2007

I really hope this small foreign film will be seen by a lot of people. I went in knowing nothing about the film, other than that it was directed by American director Julian Schnabel but it is filmed completely in French. Based on a true story about an Elle editor who was completely paralyzed except for his left eye after a stroke, this is a difficult film to get through but a wholly worthwhile one. Very much like the 2004 film "The Sea Inside", it combines beautiful cinematography with an excellent script. Mathieu Almaric delivers an affecting, mostly verbal performance as the paralyzed protagonist, but it is the uniformly terrific supporting cast that really shines. While the subject matter is disturbing, the film is ultimately a hopeful and wonderful experience.

B+