"Well, sir, by the help of two signs, with which I will acquaint you presently, you may ascertain with perfect certainty that my grandfather is still in the full possession of all his mental faculties. M. Noirtier, being deprived of voice and motion, is accustomed to convey his meaning by closing his eyes when he wishes to signify `yes,' and to wink when he means `no.' You now know quite enough to enable you to converse with M. Noirtier; -- try." -Excerpt from Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo"
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Director Julian Schnabel pulls out all the stops and creates his most personal film to date, the story of one man conquering his fear of death while being trapped in a body paralyzed from head-to-toe!
3-1/2 stars (1st view) // 4 stars (2nd view)
[Le Scaphandre et le papillon/(2007)France-US/Rated PG-13] - (1 hr 52 min)
[In French (subtitled) / USA distrib: Miramax]
Directed by Julian Schnabel
Written by Ronald Harwood
Source: Novel by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Cast ... Lead characters:
Mathieu Amalric ... Jean-Dominique 'Jean-Do' Bauby (age 42/Ed. of ELLE)
Marie-Josée Croze ... Henriette Durand (Jean-Do's Speech therapist)
Emmanuelle Seigner ... Céline Desmoulins (Mother of Jean-Do's 3 kids)
Cast ... Supporting characters:
Max von Sydow ... Papinou (Jean-Do's elderly father)
Isaach De Bankolé ... Laurent (Jean-Do's friend/Visitor #3)
Review:
"Like I said ... there's hope." -Dr. Lepage
Yes, I had to see this one again. The singular highlight (for me) of this year's New York Film Festival not only gets better the second time around, it confirm's the movie's perfection.
However, it's practically impossible to describe this story satisfactorily to anyone who hasn't seen it (or read the book), mainly because it is more about the deep feelings it produces in each individual viewer rather than any kind of plotline motivated climactic catharsis.
On paper it would seem practically inconceivable to tell a story about a man who can only move one eye (read the book if you don't believe me), but director Julian Schnabel ("Before Night Falls") has not only accomplished the impossible but also made the best film of his relatively short career (3 films in 12 years).
Having had eye surgery as a child, I could relate to the uncomfortable "occlusion" scene early in the film and my distaste for hospitals in general fed into 'Jean-Do's own ennui during his long, medical "incarceration" (of sorts). I'm personalizing my comments because much of the film is shot from Jean-Do's (Matthieu Amalric) point-of-view, making the audience an integral part of the majority of the in-patient scenes.
Not to worry, cinematographer Janusz Kaminski ("Munich") moves the camera as if it were a character in direct response to the various stimuli/doctors/visitors that crowd the lens with their in-your-face pronouncements to Jean-Do. The "diving bell" of the title perfectly mirrors the situation of man trapped in his own, completely paralyzed, body with no defense against the creatures swimming out of the void to poke and prod at him.
A major kudo goes to French actor Matthieu Amalric whose ad-libbed remarks during the many therapy sessions help brighten up what could have been a sterile slog through a hospice-like enironment. In this case, Schnabel's improv-friendly directing style opens the door for plenty of wry off-the-cuff "internal" comments made by Jean-Do about any and all who come his way.
Normally I would spend a paragraph lavishing praise on one or two individual acting performances, but this cast is loaded from top to bottom with the best actors you've (probably) never seen, so excuse me if I allot too much space for the actors.
French star Matthieu Almaric ("Kings & Queen," "Munich") and Canadian co-star Marie-Josée Croze ("Barbarian Invasions," "Munich") are onscreen the most as the patient 'Jean-Do' and speech therapist 'Henriette' respectively, and their chemisty is absolutely amazing considering their scenes were shot in separate rooms to facilitate the camera.
The most poignant character is that of Jean-Do's estranged wife 'Celine', and French veteran Emmanuelle Seigner ("La Vie en Rose") offers an Oscar-worthy performance (too bad the Academy rarely recognizes non-English speaking performances). Hopefully she'll land her first Cesar (France's Oscar).
And last but not least, there's the very well-known 78-yr. old Swedish screen legend Max von Sydow ("The Seventh Seal") who may wring a few tears from susceptible audience members.
For those that found the Spanish disabled-person dra-medy "The Sea Inside" to be the treat it was, then "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" will prove a Frenchified version even more worthy of your time. Good news for audiences, who are saved from suffering through another "terminal illness"-type storyline and instead treated to one that's as entertaining as it is dramatic.
Disabled people and caregivers of same will have an inside track on the frustration of trying to recover from the unrecoverable. Anyone who loathes hospitals, doctors, etc. will find much humor from both the actions of the staff and the "internal" remarks made by object of their attention: the editor of Elle magazine (Paris) and erstwhile sufferer of the extremely rare "locked-in syndrome" - Jean-Dominique Bauby (aka 'Jean-Do').
Check this one out, you won't regret it!
"I want death." -Jean-Do
Cast ... Supporting characters:
Olatz Lopez Garmendia ... Marie Lopez (Jean-Do's Physical therapist)
Anne Consigny ... Claude (Jean-Do's Literary translator)
Patrick Chesnais ... Dr. Lepage (Berck specialist in 'Locked In' syndrome)
Niels Arestrup ... Pierre Roussin (Jean-Do's Airport acquaintance)
Cameos:
Sara Séguéla (Director's wife) ... Lourdes flashback (wheelchair girl/sticks out tongue)
Michael Wincott ... Elle flashback (Character Actor/Photog for Model shoot)
Jean-Baptiste Mondino ... Elle flashback French Music video director
Lenny Kravitz ... Elle flashback/Singer-guitarist (Music video set)
Cast ... Additional characters:
Jean-Pierre Cassel ... Father Lucien (Catholic priest)/Shopkeeper (Lourdes flashback)
Gérard Watkins ... Dr. Cocheton (1st doctor/opening scenes)
Théo Sampaio ... Théophile (Jean-Do's son)
Fiorella Campanella ... Céleste (Jean-Do's oldest daughter)
Talina Boyaci ... Hortense (Jean-Do's daughter)
Marina Hands ... Joséphine (Lourdes flashback/Jean-Do's girlfriend)
Emma de Caunes ... Empress Eugénie (Dream sequence)
Agathe de La Fontaine ... Inès (Jean-Do's lover
Soundtrack info:
"Theme for 'The Diving Bell & the Butterfly'" by Paul Cantelon
"La Mer" - Performed by Charles Trenet (opening credits) "Je Chante Sous La Pluie" (French adaptation of "Singin' in the Rain") "Chains of Love" - Performed by the Dirtbombs "Concerto for Piano in F Minor, BMV 1056 - Largo" (J.S. Bach) "Napoli Milionaria" (Nina Rota) "All the World is Green" - Performed by Tom Waits "Pauvre Petite Fille Riche" (Vline Buggy/Hubert Giraud) "Lolita Love Theme" (Robert J. Harris) "Ultra Violet (Light My Way)" - Performed by U2 (Lourdes flashback/Day scenes) "Don't Kiss Me Goodbye" - Performed by Ultra Orange with Emmanuelle (Lourdes flashback/Night scenes) "Pale Blue Eyes" - Performed by the Velvet Underground "Happy Birthday to You" (Patty & Mildred Hill) "Quatre Cents Coup" - title track from the Francois Truffaut film "Ramshackle Day Parade" - Performed by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros (End credits song #1) "Green Grass" - Performed by Tom Waits (End credits song #2)
French website
Additional cast (from IMDb.com - in French)
Anne Alvaro ... Betty (Book publisher)
Franck Victor ... Paul
Laure de Clermont ... Diane
Jean-Philippe Écoffey ... Dr. Mercier
Françoise Lebrun ... Mme Bauby (Jean-Do's elderly mother)
Antoine Bréant ... Assistant Jean-Baptiste MondinoElvis Polanski ... Jean-Do enfant (Flashback scene)
Cedric Brelet von Sydow ... Young Papinou (Flashback scene)
Nicolas Le Riche ... Nijinski (Dream sequence)
Vasile Negru ... Le violoniste
Marie Meyer ... Mannequin #1
Ilze Bajare ... Mannequin #2
Anna Chyzh ... Mannequin #3
Azzedine Alaïa ... Himself/Costume designer
Farida Khelfa ... Herself/Actress ("Gradiva")
Watch the Trailer
"Hold fast to the human inside you and you'll survive." -Pierre
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Director Julian Schnabel pulls out all the stops and creates his most personal film to date, the story of one man conquering his fear of death while being trapped in a body paralyzed from head-to-toe!
3-1/2 stars (1st view) // 4 stars (2nd view)
[Le Scaphandre et le papillon/(2007)France-US/Rated PG-13] - (1 hr 52 min)
[In French (subtitled) / USA distrib: Miramax]
Directed by Julian Schnabel
Written by Ronald Harwood
Source: Novel by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Cast ... Lead characters:
Mathieu Amalric ... Jean-Dominique 'Jean-Do' Bauby (age 42/Ed. of ELLE)
Marie-Josée Croze ... Henriette Durand (Jean-Do's Speech therapist)
Emmanuelle Seigner ... Céline Desmoulins (Mother of Jean-Do's 3 kids)
Cast ... Supporting characters:
Max von Sydow ... Papinou (Jean-Do's elderly father)
Isaach De Bankolé ... Laurent (Jean-Do's friend/Visitor #3)
Review:
"Like I said ... there's hope." -Dr. Lepage
Yes, I had to see this one again. The singular highlight (for me) of this year's New York Film Festival not only gets better the second time around, it confirm's the movie's perfection.
However, it's practically impossible to describe this story satisfactorily to anyone who hasn't seen it (or read the book), mainly because it is more about the deep feelings it produces in each individual viewer rather than any kind of plotline motivated climactic catharsis.
On paper it would seem practically inconceivable to tell a story about a man who can only move one eye (read the book if you don't believe me), but director Julian Schnabel ("Before Night Falls") has not only accomplished the impossible but also made the best film of his relatively short career (3 films in 12 years).
Having had eye surgery as a child, I could relate to the uncomfortable "occlusion" scene early in the film and my distaste for hospitals in general fed into 'Jean-Do's own ennui during his long, medical "incarceration" (of sorts). I'm personalizing my comments because much of the film is shot from Jean-Do's (Matthieu Amalric) point-of-view, making the audience an integral part of the majority of the in-patient scenes.
Not to worry, cinematographer Janusz Kaminski ("Munich") moves the camera as if it were a character in direct response to the various stimuli/doctors/visitors that crowd the lens with their in-your-face pronouncements to Jean-Do. The "diving bell" of the title perfectly mirrors the situation of man trapped in his own, completely paralyzed, body with no defense against the creatures swimming out of the void to poke and prod at him.
A major kudo goes to French actor Matthieu Amalric whose ad-libbed remarks during the many therapy sessions help brighten up what could have been a sterile slog through a hospice-like enironment. In this case, Schnabel's improv-friendly directing style opens the door for plenty of wry off-the-cuff "internal" comments made by Jean-Do about any and all who come his way.
Normally I would spend a paragraph lavishing praise on one or two individual acting performances, but this cast is loaded from top to bottom with the best actors you've (probably) never seen, so excuse me if I allot too much space for the actors.
French star Matthieu Almaric ("Kings & Queen," "Munich") and Canadian co-star Marie-Josée Croze ("Barbarian Invasions," "Munich") are onscreen the most as the patient 'Jean-Do' and speech therapist 'Henriette' respectively, and their chemisty is absolutely amazing considering their scenes were shot in separate rooms to facilitate the camera.
The most poignant character is that of Jean-Do's estranged wife 'Celine', and French veteran Emmanuelle Seigner ("La Vie en Rose") offers an Oscar-worthy performance (too bad the Academy rarely recognizes non-English speaking performances). Hopefully she'll land her first Cesar (France's Oscar).
And last but not least, there's the very well-known 78-yr. old Swedish screen legend Max von Sydow ("The Seventh Seal") who may wring a few tears from susceptible audience members.
For those that found the Spanish disabled-person dra-medy "The Sea Inside" to be the treat it was, then "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" will prove a Frenchified version even more worthy of your time. Good news for audiences, who are saved from suffering through another "terminal illness"-type storyline and instead treated to one that's as entertaining as it is dramatic.
Disabled people and caregivers of same will have an inside track on the frustration of trying to recover from the unrecoverable. Anyone who loathes hospitals, doctors, etc. will find much humor from both the actions of the staff and the "internal" remarks made by object of their attention: the editor of Elle magazine (Paris) and erstwhile sufferer of the extremely rare "locked-in syndrome" - Jean-Dominique Bauby (aka 'Jean-Do').
Check this one out, you won't regret it!
"I want death." -Jean-Do
Cast ... Supporting characters:
Olatz Lopez Garmendia ... Marie Lopez (Jean-Do's Physical therapist)
Anne Consigny ... Claude (Jean-Do's Literary translator)
Patrick Chesnais ... Dr. Lepage (Berck specialist in 'Locked In' syndrome)
Niels Arestrup ... Pierre Roussin (Jean-Do's Airport acquaintance)
Cameos:
Sara Séguéla (Director's wife) ... Lourdes flashback (wheelchair girl/sticks out tongue)
Michael Wincott ... Elle flashback (Character Actor/Photog for Model shoot)
Jean-Baptiste Mondino ... Elle flashback French Music video director
Lenny Kravitz ... Elle flashback/Singer-guitarist (Music video set)
Cast ... Additional characters:
Jean-Pierre Cassel ... Father Lucien (Catholic priest)/Shopkeeper (Lourdes flashback)
Gérard Watkins ... Dr. Cocheton (1st doctor/opening scenes)
Théo Sampaio ... Théophile (Jean-Do's son)
Fiorella Campanella ... Céleste (Jean-Do's oldest daughter)
Talina Boyaci ... Hortense (Jean-Do's daughter)
Marina Hands ... Joséphine (Lourdes flashback/Jean-Do's girlfriend)
Emma de Caunes ... Empress Eugénie (Dream sequence)
Agathe de La Fontaine ... Inès (Jean-Do's lover
Soundtrack info:
"Theme for 'The Diving Bell & the Butterfly'" by Paul Cantelon
"La Mer" - Performed by Charles Trenet (opening credits) "Je Chante Sous La Pluie" (French adaptation of "Singin' in the Rain") "Chains of Love" - Performed by the Dirtbombs "Concerto for Piano in F Minor, BMV 1056 - Largo" (J.S. Bach) "Napoli Milionaria" (Nina Rota) "All the World is Green" - Performed by Tom Waits "Pauvre Petite Fille Riche" (Vline Buggy/Hubert Giraud) "Lolita Love Theme" (Robert J. Harris) "Ultra Violet (Light My Way)" - Performed by U2 (Lourdes flashback/Day scenes) "Don't Kiss Me Goodbye" - Performed by Ultra Orange with Emmanuelle (Lourdes flashback/Night scenes) "Pale Blue Eyes" - Performed by the Velvet Underground "Happy Birthday to You" (Patty & Mildred Hill) "Quatre Cents Coup" - title track from the Francois Truffaut film "Ramshackle Day Parade" - Performed by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros (End credits song #1) "Green Grass" - Performed by Tom Waits (End credits song #2)
French website
Additional cast (from IMDb.com - in French)
Anne Alvaro ... Betty (Book publisher)
Franck Victor ... Paul
Laure de Clermont ... Diane
Jean-Philippe Écoffey ... Dr. Mercier
Françoise Lebrun ... Mme Bauby (Jean-Do's elderly mother)
Antoine Bréant ... Assistant Jean-Baptiste MondinoElvis Polanski ... Jean-Do enfant (Flashback scene)
Cedric Brelet von Sydow ... Young Papinou (Flashback scene)
Nicolas Le Riche ... Nijinski (Dream sequence)
Vasile Negru ... Le violoniste
Marie Meyer ... Mannequin #1
Ilze Bajare ... Mannequin #2
Anna Chyzh ... Mannequin #3
Azzedine Alaïa ... Himself/Costume designer
Farida Khelfa ... Herself/Actress ("Gradiva")
Watch the Trailer
"Hold fast to the human inside you and you'll survive." -Pierre
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++