Participants: Bobby, Joe, Shane, Bryan, Jon, Drew, Sean
Initiator: Bobby
Bobby
The Sea Inside probably deserves our applause for two
reasons. First, it made Hartman read and
actually pay attention to a movie and, mostly, it is a fantastic film. This film hit my radar after checking out
what else Javier Bardem has done besides No Country for Old Men and Skyfall. I
really enjoyed Vicky Cristina Barcelona, as well. I narrowed it down to Biutiful and The Sea
Inside, and the latter seemed more interesting at the moment.
The battle of a quadriplegic trying to win his right to die,
holding the view that life is a right and not an obligation, is a difficult
journey to present. This is the kind of
situation that often makes us examine our own thoughts on such a subject. What would I do if it was me? What would I do
and say if it was somebody I loved? One
of the major things I liked about this movie is that it was about the person,
Ramon Sampedro, more than the topic of euthanasia. It didn't try to aggressively sway us in
either direction, but maintained a focus on who he was, what he thought, and
how he responded to those around him with different opinions on his life and
choice to die.
The focus on Ramon's conversations, fantasies and flashbacks
really kept us tuned into his story and why he has made his decision. The
scenes of him flying out the window and over the landscape are beautifully
shot. They mean so much to the character, especially the time when he doesn't
get out the window and we see the land as if we're trapped, as is his
reality. My other favorite scene was
when the quadriplegic priest came to visit and they argued their positions via
the boy running up and down the stairs, and by shouting toward each other. Arguing over rhetoric with rhetoric and
Manuela having the final word as the priest leaves.
I thought all the relationships were portrayed well and
provided a balance throughout the film. Ramon's father having few lines, but
standing out when he confesses that 'there's only one thing worse than the
death of a son... that he wants to die."
His brother is the most outspoken against Ramon's wishes, conflicting
with his wife who's taken up the day to day care for Ramon and seems to have
come to accept that it's Ramon's choice to make. Her speaking out to the priest
was a big moment. Javier, his nephew,
doesn't quite understand everything... even when Ramon spells it out in a poem
dedicated to him. He's the son he never
had, but definitely loved as one. Then there are the two women in his life,
Julia and Rosa. One coming to represent
him and help him die while other shows up to convince him to live. The conversations, the cigarettes, the
kiss, and the overall dynamics were
vital to Ramon and well written and acted. We see each of them change their
positions and Rosa giving her friend, who she loves, what he's long awaited
even though he doesn't seem to reciprocate
the same feelings. All of these
people played such important roles to Ramon and showed us all both sides of his
battle. It turns out that years after
Ramon's death the real Rosa (Ramona) openly spoke about it, confessing her part
since the statute of limitations had run out for their supposed crimes.
The acting was good overall and superb for Bardem. He
received all sorts of accolades for his performance and they were all deserved.
The way he delivers his lines are
convincing and real. His facial expressions are on point, showing Ramon's wide
range of emotion throughout his journey.
In what had to be a very demanding role to take on, Bardem was pretty
much flawless. At first, Lola Dueñas
sort of bothered me as Rosa, but that's just who her character was. She grew on me, just as she did with Ramon. I was pleased with the cast overall, not
knowing any of the others, they all fit and played their parts well.
The Sea Inside notches an A grade from me. I walked away from it with a lot on my mind,
a handful of laughs, and an eye lined with a tear or two. Bardem's performance, the story, and the
scenes that stood out for me made this a great movie experience for me. I hope you all were able to suffer through
the subtitles enough to enjoy it, as well!
