The most extraordinary thing about this movie to me is the humanity in it – the kind of humanity that it would be so easy to think insensitive and to exclude from such a story. Almost from the very moment “Jean-Do” realises his condition, we’re laughing with him at the strangest things even while sharing his most private despair. It’s often said when tragedy strikes how, “it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy,” or words to that effect. There’s a weird sense in which, here – and this can’t help but come out the wrong way – it couldn’t have happened to a more perfect guy, a fashionista who didn’t know what life was; and there couldn’t be a more perfect director than Julian Schnabel with his background and style to find this odd tone in the story.

It’s impossible to be insensitive about locked-in syndrome; the hard thing is in building the life and reality around it. I don’t know if that makes sense; I wish I had more time to write this review, I guess, but this weekend’s busy. In any case, that’s why I only just made one final adjustment in my Oscar predix and I’m rooting for Schnabel in the directing category; and not just in retrospect for Basquiat (which I for one loved) as I’d expected.

I was really surprised by just how much of the movie is seen through Jean-Do’s one eye – it’s really amazing how consistently interesting the whole thing is in the visual department despite this. It’s just a unique, compelling, and surprisingly funny movie I can’t wait to watch again in less hurried a fashion than “must watch before the Oscars!” lol.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 24th, 2008 at 7:33 pm in 5 hearts, Movie Reviews and tagged as biography, fashion, French, illness, paralysis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.