| Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek (at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival) Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze, Anne Consigny and Max von Sydow With Diving Bell, Schnabel proves yet again that he's as true an auteur as exists in contemporary filmmaking. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly filled me with dread - the dread of knowing it may be another seven years before I get another film out of this artist/filmmaker who, in the three outings that include Basquiat and Before Night Falls, is batting with a perfect average. Not only do Schnabel's films stand as testament to complete filmmaking control, but they manage to inspire other filmmakers, actors and artists of all disciplines to continue to search within themselves to define the human condition with their creative canvases. Schnabel shows such unparalleled sleight of hand in his fluid portrayal of the paralyzed physique and quick wit of former Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby that the repetition of the images and sounds which define Bauby's world can only be labeled as hauntingly poetic. The relationships between Bauby and his "Papinou," and between the damaged Bauby and the mother of his children, feel rooted in unapologetic honesty. Schnabel's vision is the definitive cinematic experience, literally immersing the audience member within the imprisoned body of his lead and forcing them to feel the close-up adoration, appreciation, detestation and frustration that accompany Bauby's predicament. The acting efforts of the entire cast are pitch perfect, and the film flows flawlessly from the X-ray-style title sequence through to the soundtrack credits, where Lou Reed and Tom Waits fulfill their regular roles on Schnabel's playlist alongside Joe Strummer and U2. The French title credit specifies that the film is "realise de Julian Schnabel," and this is indeed a vision realized. Schnabel's artworks might be in museums everywhere, but his films manage to bind to souls. |
