We-that would be my wife and I-watch almost all our movies via Netflix, the folks who mail the DVD directly to your home in the squarish red envelope.
We do, albeit rarely, see a film in the theater, because we think the cinematography will be better enjoyed on the largest screen possible. The wildlife movie Winged Migration being just such a flick.
But generally, the somewhat dingy theaters, candy-and-popcorn covered floors and, depending on the film, an overabundance of noisy kids, is not conducive to our maximum enjoyment of a movie.
We generally eschew Hollywood blockbusters like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Rambo and similar efforts, preferring movies with an actual storyline and dialogue above the sixth-grade level. If Ebert & Roeper give a movie a big "two thumbs up," then we might give a try to a film we would otherwise pass over.
With the DVDs coming to our home, we enjoy the movies in the comfort of our TV room, surrounded by our favorite snacks and beverages, not to mention our fat little cat. The disadvantage is that we are often watching movies that others have seen in the theater several months to a year or more before we see them. We generally find this an acceptable tradeoff for watching the film in comfort, and at a time of our choosing.
We just watched the Spanish movie The Sea Inside, directed and co-written by Alejandro Amenabar (The Others). A winner for Best Foreign Film at the 2004 Golden Globe Awards, the 2005 COYA Awards and the 2005 Academy Awards, the film is layered with touching and at times disturbing issues of life, death and love between human beings.
The film is based on the true story of Ramon Sampedro, a Spaniard who spent 29 of his 55 years with complete paralysis, able to move only his head after a tragic diving accident into the sea near his home in Galicia.
A remarkable man with a wonderful sense of humor, Ramon, played by Javier Bardem (an Oscar nominee), is trapped in a body that refuses to let anything but his mind pursue life's pleasures. He decides that death is preferable to the hell of his existence, and begins the process of seeking the Spanish legal system's approval for an assisted suicide.
During his battle-which he undergoes while living with his brother, Jose, sister-in-law, Manuela, and teenage nephew, Javi, who provide him with around-the-clock care-Ramon develops a relationship with two women: Julia, a lawyer fighting for his right to die, and Rosa, a near wreck of a single mother of two.
As Ramon searches for someone to help him end his misery, these two women, as well as other people close to him, find their own liberation through their relationship with and love of Ramon. For those surrounding Ramon, his search for death leads to their understanding of how to live.
This film deals on many levels with one of the several divisive issues facing societies today, and does so with class and a depth of emotion that will make you laugh and reflect on your own opinions about dying with dignity. Most of all, however, you will find an amazing strength of character in Ramon Sampedro.
Mike Davis is a freelance writer living in Magnolia.[[In-content Ad]]
