Review of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) by J J — 26 May 2011

Story about a wealthy man who suffers a massive stroke, leaving him totally paralysed; his left eye is the only part of his body where function remains. Other than that, his brain is completely normal so he's effectively "locked in" in his own head.

With the help of doctors and some truly beautiful nurses, he begins to communicate slowly using a blinking technique with his left eye and decides to write his memoirs. What I loved most about the film was the first person view that it introduces the film with.

For approximately a third of the film, we only see what the protagonist is seeing, and react how he reacts. This puts you in his shoes and gives some idea of what he might be feeling like. Overall a very good film with a strong performance from Mathieu Amalric.