The Diving Bell And The Butterfly

Director Julian Schnabel can hardly be termed as prolific in the cinematic field. With only two previous films to his name - 1996's (patchy) Basquiat and 2000's (disappointing) Before Night Falls, which launched Javier Bardem into the Spanish cross-over success that Antonio Banderas occupied before him - I approached The Diving Bell And The Butterfly with an element of trepidation.

The 1997 book on which the film is based vividly described how the French journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby was suddenly afflicted by a stroke at the age of 43 and dictated his memoir by the use of his left eyelid, which was the only part of his body which maintained movement.

Having just reviewed a book-to-film adaptation by Ronald Harwood (Love In The Time Of Cholera), it's even more evident how this film manages (where Cholera fails) to maintain the emotional punch that the book held over the reader and the lead actors: new Bond bad guy Mathieu Amalric as Jean-Do and Emmanuelle Seigner as his ex-wife Céline are magnificent.

Whilst the premise of a paraylsed man whom is unable to speak dictating a book sounds like a recipe for cinematic disaster, it's impossible to describe just how moving the experience is for the viewer and any number of platitudes cannot express the emotional journey on which the film takes you.

Essential viewing is an expression designed for such excellent films - just please avoid the English dub (albeit created by the original actors) and see it how it was meant to be seen (which is ideally in the cinema, but home viewing on this occasion makes for an adequate substitution!).

Extras: Feature commentary, The Making of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Cinematic Vision featurette, Charlie Rose interviews Julian Schnabel, Full English feature dubbing with original cast, Theatrical Trailer, Photo gallery.

Released on 9th June 2008 by Pathe Distribution.

Written by Simon Cole.