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Is a great life if you don't weaken, 14 February 2005
Author:
hall10000 from London
THE SEA INSIDE a film by Alejandro Amenabar.
Almodovar has always single handed the flag for Spanish cinema for
years now, out of nowhere came Amenabar reinventing genres and
injecting some new blood to the otherwise malfunctioning Spanish
industry, now in a big gamble he switches from psychological terror to
social drama, well the big ones would be, are audiences ready to
embrace the swing and more important can he hold the flag? This is the
story of Ramon Sampedro, a sailor that in his twenties was paralyzed
from the neck down in an accident at the sea and his fight with the
Spanish government for the right to end his life. The story has the
traces of an afternoon made for TV melodrama and the only way this is
going to work is through words and honest performances and they both
come in spades. Mateo Gil and Amenabar co-write in a way where the
audience is not meant to be lead blind to a death end but they are
encouraged to make up their own minds in the process and that is a
brilliant stroke, this is not a movie pro death but a movie in favour
of the ultimate illusions of our time LIBERTY. There is a few laughs
spare a long the way, like when the church comes home in a wheel chair
to deconstruct Sampedro beliefs but is mostly a valley of tears through
out, punches coming from all fronts even when you think you are safe
his father that to that point didn't make any sense comes up with the
most moving line of the entire movie. It is a heartbreaking experience
specially when Sampedro seems more full of life than most the people
wandering the streets and everyone around him tries to convince him of
the wonders of life even those who are helping him to die� but when you
strip a man of his dreams� The film is almost exclusively built on
close ups bringing a claustrophobic feeling that makes the audience
more sympathetic with Sampedro. That's for the actors a huge challenge
that must construct their whole performances with their eyes and the
eyes don't lie. Bardem was not granted his second Oscar nomination,
probably in favour of Eastwood, but in my opinion he was the only one
who could have shadowed Jammie Fox. This role reminds me of the great
Gregory Peck in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD where the acting looked
effortless and I reckon Bardem has reached that status where the line
of what is acting and what is real has become completely blur. I was
never fond of his early work but since Almodovar's LIVE FLESH he is on
a roll, LOS LUNES AL SOL, THE DANCER UPSTAIRS and the Oscar nominated
BEFORE THE NIGHT FALLS made him an international star and although he
and Banderas come from the same Almodovar background is fascinating to
see how different paths they took and how Bardem has now become a real
reference for Spanish cinema in the whole world. A golden globe, 14
Goyas, jury prize at Venice and probably an Oscar with permission from
THE CHORUS BOYS, Amenabar directs, co-write, edits and puts music to a
high caliber drama, he has pull it off� what about some Science Fiction
now? Whose life is it anyway?****.
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