Mooovie Monday: The Diving Bell and The Butterfly

God, I love conversations about video games. I haven't had one in a while until today. I love them as much, if not more, than conversations about mooooooovies. Actually, I remember having a conversation with someone in film class about good movies, and that certain conversation basically served as a catalyst to a beginning of a wonderful friendship. :)

Last week sucked. My sisters are in Taiwan and I should have gone with them. I could have had a whole Lost in Translation moment and meet a lonely, disoriented girl who helps me "find myself" in not only a foreign country, but life in general. OOOoooh. DEEP. and totally cliché . but I still love it

Speaking of foreign. I feel the need to write about one of my favorite foreign movies EVERR!
And that is The Diving Bell and The Butterfly or in its original name,
Scaphandre et le papillon, Le. Here's the cover art again because I love it that much and I seriously want to buy a poster of it and put it up on my wall.


I can't even begin to describe just how beautiful this movie is. First of all, it's French, so , DUH, of course it's going to be incredibly artsy. It's also based on a true story! and wow, after watching this masterpiece, it'll be hard for you to believe it. What can I say? It's one of the most heartwarming yet simultaneously heartbreaking films I've ever seen. It would have no problem holding the title of a" life changing movie " because it really is.
So get this, it's a true story of an Elle France editor named Jean-Dominique Bauby. He suffered a stroke in 1995 at the age of 43, leaving his entire body paralyzed with the exception of his left eye. This eye is his only source of communication and he writes his entire memoir by blinking while having someone write out the letters for him. The majority of the movie depicts Bauby describing his once extravagant life as an Elle Magazine editor as he lays lethargically on a hospital bed or in his wheelchair, using only his left eye to detail the psychological pain he is currently in and the imaginations he conjures up in the only part of him left that can still fully function, his mind.

Amazing, right? This flick has a good share of stunning French women as well. There are certain shots of a woman's hair blowing carelessly in the wind and scenes that consist of practically close-ups of their faces. You really get the sense of how Bauby felt about beautiful women; he loved them. The camera work is brilliant, making it seem like you are looking right through Bauby's eyes, or eye, I should say. Of course like every other movie, there's always a particular scene that just gets me every time. In this case, it's the bit with the very pretty nurse speaking to Bauby where she herself, becomes emotional. I'm not spoiling anything, but damn it's beautiful.
If you're very emotional then you probably need to keep a box of kleenex near by, because you will cry when you see this.

This film would have to rank somewhere in my top 5. Maybe 4 or 3? Watch it now. You really won't regret it.

Why I love this movie:
- It's French/foreign
- Beautiful French women
- Incredibly moving and emotional
- Great soundtrack
- Phenomenal acting
- Creative/artistic cinematography
- Based on a true story
- Because it's just soo damn beautiful

movie brilliance: 9/10

Trailer:



AUDIO:

The music speaks for itself. A couple of songs from the soundtrack. Please listen, they are really good songs, especially Don't Kiss me Goodbye. Which reminds me that I still need to buy the soundtrack.

The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes


Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle - Don't Kiss me Goodbye





Goodbye, baby.