The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) has already received the awards, so you don’t need to hear from me that it is an award-winning movie. But I can say who might like this movie: those who appreciate mature subject matter, and those who like calm, assured film making. When the protagonist suffers a massive stroke which leaves his mind intact but his body paralyzed, we face the question, “What would I do if I could do nothing but blink my left eye?” This question seems abstract and remote, but when the protagonist remembers shaving his old father or going to Lourdes for an unsuccessfull “dirty weekend” with a young beauty, I see the experiences far more vividly and appreciate them more (complex as they are) knowing that in a simple twist of fate, I may be able to do little except move my left eye lid, so I should pay a more attention to my own world.
The film making is so assured that it is comfortable to watch. The screen play is a triumph of maturity for Ronald Harwood (b. 1934) who has penned such superb adaptations as The Pianist. The camera work is often first-person point of view without being too claustrophobic but still reminding us of what it is like to see the world without being able to move your head.