When it comes to movie choices, dramas about severely disabled characters wishing to end their lives usually aren't high on most viewers' must-see lists. After all, the subject mater is usually inherently depressing. Then there's the matter of whether the protagonist ultimately succeeds or not.
If you've come to like them over the course of a few hours and they then fail at or are denied their wish, that's similarly depressing. Yet, if they succeed, they end up, well, dead, and that's not exactly the most uplifting experience either, which could end up liking losing a new friend.
If either scenario is handled by an adept and careful storyteller, however, both types of stories can work and even be uplifting, moving and certainly emotionally charged. Such is the case with "The Sea Inside," a film that hits all of those right notes and more, making it one of the best releases of 2004.
Based on the real-life story of a Spaniard who fought the system for decades to end his life with dignity, the film features terrific work from all involved both in front of and behind the camera, but two particular talents must be singled out.
Taking a break from the sensational, twist-filled thrillers such as "Open Your Eyes" and "The Others" that made his mark in the movie world, director Alejandro Amenábar has delivered his best film to date. Moving without being maudlin and certainly a tearjerker that thankfully avoids melodrama, the effort is a wonder to behold.
Despite the serious and seemingly depressing thematic material, Amenábar and co-writer Mateo Gil ("Open Your Eyes," "Tesis") infuse a decent amount of humor and warmth into the proceedings that fit in nicely with the film's overall uplifting and even light visual look. With the aid of cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe ("Talk to Her," "The Others"), Amenábar has crafted two of the most beautifully rendered sequences of this or any other year.
One involves a flashback to the life-changing diving accident that left Ramón a quadriplegic. As we see that and hear the character talk about the standard notion of one's life flashing before their eyes at such a moment, we see his lawyer -- a terrific Belén Rueda (making her feature film debut) -- flipping through a series of photographs of the man's life. By interweaving those elements, Amenábar delivers a hauntingly moving and beautiful scene.
Just as good, though, is one that occurs later in the film. After a visiting boy tells his mother that he thinks Ramón is faking his paralysis, we see the protagonist move his finger and then other parts of his body before standing and preparing for liftoff.
It, of course, is a fantasy, and as accompanied by a classical recording playing in his room, the character figuratively and literally takes flight. It's a sweeping, point of view camera shot that eventually leads him and us to the two factors that mean so much to him -- the sea from his past and that lawyer from his present who suffers from her own physical ailment.
The entire sequence is nothing short of amazing to behold --- like much of the film and its various symbolic and metaphorical elements -- and then turns heartbreaking when the music abruptly ends and thus returns the character to his far different reality. The late Christopher Reeve said that when he dreamed he was never paralyzed and such a sentiment is beautifully and movingly rendered here.
The other noteworthy participant, of course, is the terrific Javier Bardem ("Before Night Falls," "The Dancer Upstairs"). Already a great if barely recognized actor (at least by the masses), he delivers one of, if not the best performance of his career. And while some skeptics may argue that these sorts of roles are just Oscar bait, Bardem justifies all that he does and more with an amazing take on the character.
Playing a surprisingly broad range of emotions -- and doing so mostly only from the neck up, which makes the feat ever the more remarkable -- Bardem effortlessly but effectively makes the viewer like and care about the character. It's easily the best performance of the year.
Supporting work from the likes of Rueda and Lola Dueñas ("Talk to Her," "Piedras") as another woman who becomes involved in the protagonist's life is also top-notch. The same holds true for Mabel Rivera, Celso Bugallo, Joan Dalmau and Tamar Novas who play family members torn by their love for him and their desire for him to be happy, and the fact that if he succeeds they'll never see him again.
Viewers will likely feel the same way in what's one of the most remarkable films of 2004. We highly recommend "The Sea Inside" that rates as an 8 out of 10.
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