"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly:" seldom has a film

Posted by tinear (A) on February 25, 2008 at 15:45:12

received such hype and been so ridiculously bad.
A wealthy heel with a significant other and three children by her also has a mistress for whom he is about to permanently leave the mother of his kids. He suffers a debilitating stroke.
For the first way-too-many minutes, the director attempts to make us "feel" what it's like to be in a state of total paralysis, near blindness, and total confusion.
After a few minutes of this, any sensate individual would have understood and the film could continue. Not J. Schnabel, however: he subjects the poor viewer, as trapped as the unfortunate character, to what seems like hours of it.
And that's another major problem with the film: we don't get too many of the character's thoughts but merely his feelings, which aren't very surprising and hardly worth much consideration. This may be a blessing, however, because the editor of Elle, his former occupation, hardly would be riveting.
One of the anti-climactic moments occurs-- I confess that to a French person this may seem more dramatic---when the lover, who has such deep emotions that she manages to resist the urge to see him as his life hangs by a thread or as he fights to regain communication, telephones him when his wife is present.
The long-suffering wife, of course, dutifully leaves the room so the lover can explain her absence, though the wife returns to help the communication.
And what a world this poor unfortunate is left in!
Not only is his wife a stunner, the girlfriend is too--- okay, so far, he was, after all, the editor of a marginal fashion magazine. But his speech therapist, physical therapist, AND secretary also
are all model-perfect!
I'd suggest another title, perhaps when it's released to DVD: "A Stroke of Good Luck!"

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Topic - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly:" seldom has a film - tinear 15:45:12 02/25/08 (31)

speech therapist was the sexy assassin in Munich! nt - Duilawyer 16:57:27 02/26/08 (0)

Obviously, I disagree. - Harmonia 13:27:03 02/26/08 (1)

I'm with you. Best of 2007. nt - Duilawyer 16:55:33 02/26/08 (0)

"to what seems like hours of it" - dave c 19:56:34 02/25/08 (27)

Exactly. - Harmonia 13:03:35 02/26/08 (0)

One can convey boredom w/out boring the spectator. That - tinear 05:21:54 02/26/08 (25)

RE: One can convey boredom w/out boring the spectator. That - jamesgarvin 15:37:40 02/26/08 (0)

sorry he didn't change story to fit your expectations... - dave c 13:36:21 02/26/08 (2)

No, no: - tinear 16:38:01 02/26/08 (1)

"I like criticizing a film as much as praising one." THAT, is obvious. - sjb 17:20:25 02/26/08 (0)

LOL! Women are either too ugly to bear or too pretty to take seriously. - sjb 06:18:57 02/26/08 (10)

Yes, and the secretary, his wife, the girlfriend, the therapists, etc. - tinear 06:52:24 02/26/08 (9)

Plenty has been posted about why people like it. - sjb 07:59:08 02/26/08 (8)

Deaf Beethoven: interesting. Almost blind Rembrandt: fascinating. - tinear 10:17:16 02/26/08 (7)

You still haven't said how the film-maker should have handled the fact the women in his life were beautiful. - sjb 15:03:33 02/26/08 (5)

First off, I'd read a lot about the film and expected - tinear 16:48:28 02/26/08 (4)

Fair enough. nt - sjb 16:56:01 02/26/08 (3)

RE: Fair enough. nt - tinear 17:13:53 02/26/08 (2)

LOL! - sjb 17:19:25 02/26/08 (1)

RE: LOL! - tinear 04:38:33 02/27/08 (0)

"a execrable rag": is this a freedom fries thing? nt - dave c 13:41:05 02/26/08 (0)

Millions of people have loved this film... - EBerlin 06:05:16 02/26/08 (9)

Millions love slasher movies. So? Care to trot out some - tinear 06:53:59 02/26/08 (0)

the sheep - Eldragon 06:41:38 02/26/08 (7)

I've not the slightest objection to his not liking the film... - EBerlin 07:29:27 02/26/08 (6)

But my dear E., I am certain I find it a miserable excuse for a film. Your - tinear 10:20:08 02/26/08 (5)

You are right.... - EBerlin 11:27:04 02/26/08 (4)

Then it's hardly, "miserable," is it? ;-) nt - tinear 13:16:45 02/26/08 (3)

Oh no, not at all... - EBerlin 13:19:39 02/26/08 (2)

oh stop it both of you - dave c 13:39:06 02/26/08 (1)

After Nader gets in I'm having him - tinear 17:18:04 02/26/08 (0)

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly:" seldom has a film

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