In 1995, author and Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered a stroke that put him in a coma; he awakened mute and completely paralyzed. Mathieu Amalric stars in this adaptation of Bauby’s autobiography, which he dictated by blinking. Julian Schnabel was nominated for the 2008 Best Director Oscar and won the Golden Globe in the same category for his poignant film about the strength of the human spirit.
This film (one of the “1001 Films To See Before You Die”) is the true story of an editor of “Elle” who suffered a stroke and descended into locked-in syndrome. All he could do was move his left eyelid. His ultra-patient caretakers devised a method of communication with him. Using that he wrote a small book “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” which Julian Schnabel made into this film.. You might want to read that short book. It might be difficult or unpleasant to imagine how it would be to be trapped in such a manner. Unfortunately I came away disliking Bauby. In the film he is cruel, even in his reduced state, to the woman who loves him even while she is helping him. Any comments on this ?
Marion Cotillard earned an Oscar for playing beloved Parisian singer Edith Piaf, whose passion for her music saw her through a life filled with tragedy. From her forlorn childhood in a brothel to her big break at Louis Leplée’s (Gérard Depardieu) nightclub and her premature death at the age of 47, director Olivier Dahan creates a loving portrait of the legendary chanteuse. Sylvie Testud and Pascal Greggory co-star in this critically acclaimed biopic.
“La Vie en Rose” is one of the “1001 Films to See Before You Die.” “Thrilling” is the word that comes to my mind. Any review I have read has been a rave. It is a long film (140 minutes) that seems short. The finale in which she sings her most famous “Non, je ne regrette rien” gave me goosebumps. I am glad I heard her sing this song in a theatre where the screen was the world and nothing else existed. If you want to hear the real Edith Piaf sing her theme song, click on Non, je ne regrette rien
Sean Penn directs this feature based on best-selling author Jon Krakauer’s true story of a young man who gives up everything to lead a solitary life in the wild. Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a trust-fund college graduate, abandons his safe existence to trek across the harsh yet beautiful terrain of Alaska. William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden co-star, along with Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn and Hal Holbrook (in an Oscar-nominated role).
Because I had first read the book “Into The Wild”, I found the film a bit slow. In fact, I wish you would read the book first. There is a sort of mystery: was there some fatal mistake that McCandless made ? The book gives a very definite answer: YES, and explains just how close McCandless came to not dying. Ask yourself if the film offers the same information. Of course, this film can never have a happy ending. At least it supplies scenes that you might not have imagined while reading the book.
Among other categories, I added “documentary” because the film is historical in nature.
