By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Starring: Belén Rueda | Celso Bugallo | Clara Segura | Javier Bardem | Joan Dalmau | Lola Dueñas | Mabel Rivera
Original language title: Mar Ardentro
Country: france, italy, spain
Year: 2004
Running time: 125
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369702/combined
Hilary says: “In portraying Ramon Sampedro, a Spanish quadriplegic who fought for the right to die, Javier Bardem is presented with a great acting challenge, as it all must be done using only his face and voice. Bardem is a remarkably physical actor, a former rugby player with the build to prove it. I immediately thought of the great contrast between this role and his
in LIVE FLESH, where he played a cop who becomes paralyzed after a shooting. Even as his character comes to be dependent on a wheelchair, he is still very active, playing wheelchair basketball and getting around with relative ease.
“As the story opens, Sampedro has been living for twenty-six years completely physically dependent on his family and others, and is searching for a lawyer who will take his euthanasia petition to the Spanish courts. Sampedro’s family, particularly his brother, are not supportive of his wishes, but they continue to care for him and try to live their normal lives as his story is taken to the media and their lives are increasingly interrupted by outsiders with various opinions on and involvement in the matter.
“I did not know Sampedro’s story before the film, and thus cannot remark on its authenticity. I found certain elements such as the music to be rather heavy-handed, but was thoroughly impressed by Bardem and the supporting cast.
“In the end, despite being aware of the deliberateness of the direction, I was in tears in a roomful of strangers. Happily, most of them were crying too.
“3 cats; noms for Bardem and Supporting Actress Lola Dueqas”