The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

I was briefly introduced to the real story of Jean-Dominique Bauby prior to watching the movie. And being somewhat familiar with his story, fate and situation, then I was really looking forward to seeing this movie.I must say that while his story and fate is indeed a tragic one, and one that sinks right into the heart but still an inspiring story as well, then this movie was unfathomably boring. It was so slow-paced and uneventful that it was somewhat of an ordeal to sit through. And with that in mind, one can only speculate about the horrible ordeal that life and situation must have been for Bauby himself in real life.The acting was quite nice, and the actors and actresses really delivered great performances. But they were just weighed down by a rather slow-paced and uneventful storyline. I mean that in the sense that we can quickly and easily get sympathy for Bauby and his unique situation, but this story hardly required a movie about it, as it would be given so much more justice if it was a biography instead to be read.Visually and emotionally a nice movie, but just one that didn't really offer all that much in terms of entertainment. Despite the fact it was dealing with a very unique theme.

This movie has received an astoundingly high rating. I expect that those, like myself, who wish to excise this experience from our respective memories, probably would prefer to not remind themselves of it by visiting IMDB and leaving a review. I shall soldier on on behalf of the silent masses.I recall The Devil Wears Prada; a cloying, flaccid attempt to paint fashionistas as warm and caring individuals - somehow significant due to their important role in deciding which colour sweater one would need to wear this season in order to not feel inferior - as opposed to the vapid, self-important cretins that they actually are."Wow" fashion editor has a stroke, and writes book with one eye. That is about the size of it. I do not wish to demean victims of that devastating illness. Nor would I detract from a persons achievement in completing a literary work. However, people have strokes every day. And people write bad books every day. I wonder, should I contract terminal cancer and put out a CD of mediocre pop songs describing my situation, if I might have a movie made about me? I expect not. And I have to wonder why Monsieur Bauby's contribution to culture would be any more interesting or relevant to anyone outside his immediate circle?Taking time to read the book, you would quickly get the measure of the man. A text-book fashionista as previously described. From high life, sipping champagne surrounded by beautiful people in all the right clothing, to stroke victim. I can imagine this fall to be all the further should you topple from a pedestal. But does that make it interesting or compelling? Not remotely. All the cinematography and skilled script writing in the world, can not give this film one single grain of substance.You may argue, that against all odds he wrote the book with only one eye. Well, he didn't *actually* write the book with one eye. He dictated it with one eye. In his final days, did he write about the miracle of life, the importance of taking care of each other? Anything noteworthy at all? No, he wrote about himself. Exactly as you would expect.I toiled through this movie with my wife, in desperate hope that at some point the movie or the man would demonstrate some redeeming quality. Alas we were disappointed. I left the movie feeling soiled. Sorry you had a stroke and all. But if having a stroke is what makes you ultimately interesting, it probably wasn't a good idea to make a movie about it. I really - really - do not care.As a private record of this guys life and illness, perhaps for close friends and family, this would be perfect. A very nicely presented home movie. For anyone else, uh. I really should know better, purchasing DVDs with excessively beautiful artwork is always a mistake. Worst of all, I purchased this for $1 in the bargain bin, and the same day my wife coincidentally did also. So now we have 2 copies, double the sinking feeling when scanning past them on the shelf.God I detest this movie, easily in the Top 3 worst movies I ever had the misfortune of seeing.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (original French title: Le Scaphandre et le Papillon) is not only the story of what happened to Jean-Dominique Bauby after he suffered a stroke, it is a story of the human will, and the fighting spirit of Mr. Bauby in particular. There's no doubt about it, the real life story is a 10 out of 10. How about the movie?Unfortunately the movie doesn't quite live up to its potential, or do full justice to this amazing story. That's not to say it isn't well acted. Mathieu Amalric can not be faulted, he is flawless in his portrayal of Jean-Dominique Bauby. However, the movie does not quite deliver on the emotional level, or in setting up the story fully. We spend a lot of time seeing Bauby communicating with beautiful women by blinking his left eye. It becomes more about the writing of the book than it does about his life and his incredible accomplishment. Even the conclusion fades away.It's still a movie I would recommend, most of all because of the overall qualities intrinsic in the real life story. Done right, it could have been a multiple Academy-award winning movie.

"I decided to stop pitying myself. Other than my eye, two things aren't paralyzed, my imagination and my memory."Julian Schnabel's French film, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, is a powerful and emotional film about a man suffering from locked-in syndrome due to a stroke. Despite having his mental faculties intact, he is almost completely paralyzed and unable to communicate with the outside world. The once successful magazine editor is now living as a prisoner of his own body. The only muscle he is capable of moving is his left eye and with the help of a therapist he manages to communicate by blinking his eye. Mathieu Amalric gives a powerful performance as Jean- Dominique Bauby, and most of the film takes place from his point of view. Schnabel brilliantly and effectively uses camera angles to give the audience a glimpse of what this person's claustrophobic world was like. From the very opening scene we are hooked and drawn to Jean- Do's new world as he's trapped in his body. It is a very emotional film based on the autobiography written by Bauby himself who managed to write the book with the help of his therapist through the use of a communication system they developed. The sole fact that this man was able to write a book in the condition he was in, is reason enough for me to want to read his book or see a movie based on his life. It takes a lot of courage to open up the way Jean-Do did, and I think it is one of the main reasons why this film worked so well for audiences across the globe. It says a lot about how powerless we are against these illnesses, but at the same time we can also share Jean-Do's approach of learning to deal with his disability and facing the obstacles with optimism. He realized that despite being physically disabled he still had his mental faculties and was able to break those boundaries with the power of his imagination. I am also certain that this element is what caught director Schnabel's attention and what pushed him to make this film. He tells the story with such class that despite the emotional moments you never feel he was trying to be manipulative or force the audience into feeling a certain way. The performances in this film are also outstanding, making this an even more engaging movie. I also loved the beautiful imagery that Schnabel used, turning the film into a poem at times. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was a personal film for me considering that my father is going through a slightly similar experience as the character in this film. He suffered a stroke four years ago and hasn't been able to speak since. The right side of his body was paralyzed, but with help from therapy he has been able to walk again. Despite not being able to speak he understands everything and communicates with us through signs and facial expressions. The brave way in which he has managed to face his illness by always being in good spirits and not letting the disease get the best of him is a constant reminder for me of how much our attitude influences the way we approach life. He could be feeling sorry for himself, or he can stay positive and continue to improve with therapy in a similar way that Jean-Do did with his locked in syndrome. Having your mental capabilities intact is a major force considering you can escape those limitations in your mind and let your imagination fly. In a way, it was a turning point for Jean-Do when he realized this and Schnabel managed to capture those moments really well on camera. The scenes he shares with his family members are among my favorite in the film. I loved the scene in which he's in the beach with his ex-wife and kids. It is such an emotional scene but at the same time it felt authentic and real. The scenes with his father, played by Max von Sydow, are also extremely powerful and effective. You rarely see a biopic like this one, and Schnabel deserves all the credit for making an original and moving picture.