If you’re into movies I hope you’ve at least heard of this one. There was a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding it. Unfortunately the film didn’t win any of the four Oscars it was nominated for, but it did pick up some awards at other festivals and from other film groups. Le Scaphandre et le papillon (French title) is based on the book and true story authored by Jean-Dominique Bauby. Elle editor Jean-Do suffered a stroke in 1995 that left him almost completely paralyzed. The one part of his body that he could move was his left eye. Doctors and therapists at the hospital worked out a way to communicate with Mr. Bauby by blinking to spell words. Later on, he was able to write a memoir with the help of a translator before his death in 1997.
This film reminded me of El Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside) starring Javier Bardem. Both are stories about men who have an accident that leaves them physically disabled and they’re left trying to cope with the aftermath. I can’t even imagine how frustrating it must be to feel trapped inside of my own body. It gives you a new perspective on what people with physical disabilities go through.
Jean-Do Bauby is played by Mathieu Amalric. You might recognize him from Munich or Marie Antoinette. I know Jim Carrey was praised for his facial control in The Grinch, but I think Amalric most likely had a harder job contorting his face for this role.
Being a French film, you’ll definately need to pay attention to the subtitles unless you’re fluent at French. I know some of you hate subtitles, but seriously, you need to get over that. You might also find this a bit slow or depressing, but it’s a gem from 2007 that I think many missed.
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