The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Not at all what I expected from Schnabel. Self-indulgent and dull. Again like many movies these months; all hype no substance. I'm getting tired of those over hyped movies in November and December, all the studios racing for the Oscars. Most of those films are no better and often worse than movies who came out earlier in the year. But i get why journalist like the film, it's about one of their compeers. So their little eyes fill with tears. "It could be me!" " It could be a film about me!" I really wanted to love this film, I loved the book, so moving and insightful but they turned it into something superficial and boring. Also they took out many things about his lover that was in the book and I think it killed the integrity of what this man spent months trying to say with one eye. Sad! I give it 3 because it's well filmed but "Munich" looked better.

A poignant and breezily handled depiction of a person with their life ripped away from them. It is poetical and visually engaging but never becomes heavy handled. It has a great sense of humour too and its use of narration is expertly applied.

A story about a man trapped in his body like he's trapped in a diving bell and sinking to the bottom of the ocean. While he's trapped his mind is as free as a butterfly wandering around taking you to places of enormous beauty and with an incredible willpower he finished a book. We will see some flashback to his childhood, his job, and his children. The cinematography plays a huge role in the success of this movie, not only it is beautifully shot it's also presented in a way that it doesn't make it boring. Even though Jean-dominique Bauby is paralyzed and can't move he was still able to move people with his words and imagination.

I just do not understand all the great reviews this has gotten. It may have been best selling novel. As a movie is an artistic well made & acted BORE. I do feel deeply for the main character,BUT we do not really have to sit through nearly 2 hours of both reading sub-titles & seeing life through his one good eye. The film is too grim for me, One critic compared this to MY LEFT FOOT. That fine film had humour in it & was full of life, this is not. Julien Schnabel directed & I will give him credit for attempting this. It is just not for me. BE warned before you see this, IT IS GRIM. ratings ** (out of 4) 60 points (out of 100) IMDb 5 (out of 10)

Based on a true story, but other reviewers have pointed out it does not tell the full truth in certain key areas. Apart from which, it places the viewer in the position of a man who retains his mental faculties, but is paralysed in every part of his body except his left eye. This may be educational and instructive, and inviting sympathy, but it is the opposite of entertaining and enjoyable. It is an experience I do not wish to repeat; and I do not intend to watch this film again. It is unbearably long, tedious, repetitive, and painful. It can be considered an achievement of sorts on the part of its makers.

The POV story of a man who becomes paralysed by a stroke, and the book he eventually manages to write by blinking at his assistant. In spite of not being faithful to the book and being completely bourgeois, TDBATB powerfully puts across the terrible experience of Jean-Do. The main thrust of the story is of how his wife and mistress react to his condition, and how it's the mistress he really loves in the end. What's very good is Jean-Do's inexpressible anger and cynicism at the patronising and stupid reactions of most of the people he interacts with - in his head. What's not so good is how it's the sentimental story of a privileged narcissist, but the French always do that well. If this ever happens to me, however, I would like my speech therapist to use the system from Breaking Bad - you have a 5x5 matrix board of the alphabet and pick row, then column, to choose your letter. Jean-Do could have saved a good six months of people reciting the alphabet to him. French medical care, eh?

Beautiful, as I have found is the case with most French films. At the very least this film was probably one of the most original and intriguing stories I've seen in a long time. Quite the testament to patience on Bauby's part and the patience of everyone who had to work with him.