The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Reviewed

Recently I was having a discussion in a large group where we agreed that a good work of art (including film) is one that moves you. That evokes some emotion. It could be anger, happiness, love, sadness, awe or anything else... but the important thing is that it evokes an emotion.

Tonight I went through one such piece of art. In the form of a movie titled "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly". It's a French film, an adaptation of the memoirs of Jean-Dominique Bauby - former editor of Elle magazine in France who suffered a massive stroke at the age of 43, was paralysed from head to toe, but still managed to write a book with only one functioning eye lid, a vivid imagination and lots of guts.

The film is directed by Julian Schnabel who, reportedly, had to resist the producers who insisted that the film be made in English because he thought it would lose a lot of it's authenticity. Also, Johnny Depp was to star in the lead role. That fell through because of scheduling conflicts with the most recent edition of the "Pirates of the Caribean".

Instead of Hollywood glitz, in the main role he casted prominent French actor-director Mathieu Amalric (who, incidentally, will also be the villain in the next Bond film - "Quantum of Solace". He was fantastic. He played the former editor of Elle magazine, whose life nosedives when he suffers a stroke and turns into a "vegetable". He uses his only eye (the other was sewn up to avoid infection) to communicate via blinking. And that's how he wrote this book. An entire book by blinking his eyelids.

The director is an absolute genius. His visual treatment is amazing - a large chunk of the movie is shown as if from inside Jean-Dominique's head. A lot of movement (like a hand-held camera), in and out of focus, blinks. And then the voice in his head. This guy can't talk, but you're hearing his thoughts (kinda like the baby Look Who's Talking). And he's amazingly funny. While going through all of that, he sees the funny side of things. He's cursing people, mocking their sorrow at his condition and even poking fun at himself.

The director has also done a great job with snippets from his past life as a happy man, his relationship with his ex-wife and kids then and now when they visit him. His relationship with people around him who're helping him in the hospital. All of this has meant truckloads of awards for this film (including best foreign film at the Golden Globes and a nomination for best director at the Oscars).

And the fact that this is a true story will tempt even the most cynical of us to, just for a moment, a fleeting moment, be inspired. Be uplifted. Be put to shame about our everyday squabbles about this, that and everything.

Jean-Dominique Bauby died about a week after his book was published.

The film is currently showing in Singapore. Don't miss it. Please.