The Sea Inside

The Sea Inside tells the true story of Ramón Sampedro (played by Javier Bardem), a quadriplegic who spent 30 years fighting for his right to die. Director Alejandro Amenabar tells this story simply and effectively, resisting the temptation to liven things up with unnecessary visual flourishes (something that can’t be said of Whose Life Is It Anyway?, the John Badham movie with a similar premise). Of course, The Sea Inside wouldn’t be nearly as compelling as it is if it weren’t for Bardem’s fantastic performance – a feat made all the more impressive considering the actor spends the majority of the film completely unable to move. It’s Bardem’s acting that makes it easy enough to overlook the film’s occasional jaunts into melodrama, while even the most jaded viewer will find it difficult to resist the inherent power of this story.

*** out of ****