Alejandro Amenábar’s The Sea Inside (Mar adentro) is a film filled with
contradictions. Based on the real-life struggle of Spaniard Ramon Sampedro,
who spent 30 years fighting for the right to end his own life, the film is
both a celebration of life and a plea for the right to die. The premise may
sound dour or the stuff of made-for-TV movies, but Amenábar has
created something entirely different, and something wonderful.
The film begins 26 years after the accident that
paralyzed Sampedro, and finds him embarking on the last stage of his legal
appeal to be granted the right to die. He has been put into contact with
Julia (Belén Rueda), a lawyer who will argue his case. Julia, who is
disabled by a stroke, stays with Sampredo for an extended period of time to
observe him and determine his mental state. She figures the court will be
more likely to grant his petition if he appears to be in his right mind.
Some of Sampedro’s relatives welcome her; others, who oppose his
efforts to die, do not. Adding to the trauma, a young woman named Rosa
(Lola Dueñas), who has seen Sampredro’s story on television,
takes it upon herself to reinstill in him the will to live.
Javier Bardim puts on a master acting class in the
film, conveying Sampedro’s complex emotions with only his eyes, face,
and voice. He gives us a complete portrait of this man, and we come see him
as well-rounded, healthy individual — not simply an object of pity.
His performance is the key to the film’s success; we come to
sympathize with Sampedro’s desire, even though we may be morally and
philosophically opposed to it.
Also in theaters this week. . .
The Amityville Horror [R]
Demonic forces terrorize a family after they move into a home that was the
site of a mass murder. ShowPlace West,
ShowPlace East
Bride and Prejudice [PG-13]
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice get the Bollywood treatment. Brookens Auditorium (UIS)
Fever Pitch [PG-13]
Lindsay is stuck in the middle of her relationship with Ben and his
inexplicable passion for the Boston Red Sox. ShowPlace
West, ShowPlace East
Hostage [R] A botched
convenience story robbery forces suburban police chief Jeff Talley to rely
on his hostage-negotiator skills. ShowPlace
West
Ice Princess [G] Casey
Howard (Michelle Trachtenberg) pursues her dream to be a champion figure
skater. Parkway Pointe
Sahara [PG-13] Dirk Pitt
and his associates have to shut down an African dictator’s nuclear
waste disposal plant, which is threatening the planet’s ecosystem. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East
Sin City [R] The
destinies of three people converge in a violent town. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
The Upside of Anger [R]
A suburban wife (Joan Allen) with four daughters juggles romantic dilemmas
and other issues after her husband disappears. Parkway
Pointe
This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2005.
