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	The Sea Inside
	Alejandro Amenábar Javier Bardem, Belén Rueda, Lola Dueñas, Mabel Rivera, Celso Bugallo, Clara Segura, Joan Dalmau, Tamar Novas, Francesc Garrido 2004		If ever an acting job screamed end-of-the-year accolades, it's Javier Bardem's portrayal of Spanish quadriplegic writer and activist Ramón Sampedro in "The Sea Inside." Bardem, a handsome, robust man aided by some makeup magic, believably ages and ossifies in the part. Despite the trappings of a medical drama, "The Sea Inside" is not a disease-of-the-week TV movie. There's an inspirational, triumph-over-a-handicap component, but, all told, it's a serious, philosophical character piece that veers toward docudrama and addresses the moral and social implications of euthanasia. Co-written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar ("The Others," "Open Your Eyes"), the film was inspired by Sampedro's 30-year campaign to win the right to end his life with dignity. Sampedro's struggle is put into relief by his relationships with family members, some acting as caregivers and some blanching at his search for death's release. More profound are his interactions with two women: Julia (Belén Rueda), a lawyer who represents him in his legal battles, and Rosa (Lola Dueñas), a single mother who can't understand his willingness to die and tries to show him reasons to embrace this world. Still, it's Sampedro's passion for a full life and his capacity for love, as realized in Bardem's tour de force performance, that give "The Sea Inside" its power. When Bardem speaks, it's impossible to not be moved.


	Friday, April 19, 2024





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