THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY JAR

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY JAR PAINFULLY LOVELY

"I decided to stop pitying myself. Other than my eye, two things aren't paralyzed, my imagination and my memory."

-Jean-Dominique Bauby

Now and again you hear a film described as a "testament of will and spirit".This is that movie. Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) does not say a word, but luckily we can hear what he's thinking and for most of the film, we also see through his eye, his perception. In his peak of life and work, he suffers a cerebro-vascular accident that leaves him in a state of total paralysis, known as the "locked-in syndrome." He is still mentally aware, but his body won't let him move, including his tongue (which is helpful while trying to speak). Speech therapist, Henriette (Marie-Josée Croze), figures out a way for him to communicate through the blink of an eye. Painstakingly they work together to write his last book. He died two days after the publication of his book. He uses his imagination to tolerate portions of his rehabilitation. When given a feeding tube in real life, he escapes to an image of a table full of food, every delicacy he could conjure in great quantity and his speech therapist in a low-cut blouse dining with him.

This is a movie about what it means to be alive. It is not about acting. It is about being human. As the tale is told, it does not "pretty" his condition, but it does show what it means to choose life instead of pity. It also provides a realistic ending which celebrates life, rather than leave us feeling sad or terrible. This is one of the most touching and "life affirming" movies I have seen. It makes you question what it means to have an "happily ever after". Unconventional and human, a film everyone should see.

PICK: Innovative film techniques lets 'blink' in his shoes. Courageous story.