Director Alejandro Amenabar may only be 31 but he already has a couple of commercial successes on his resume, namely, Abre Los Ojos in 1997 (which propelled Penelope Cruz to international fame and then Hollywood-ized by Cameron Crowe into the Tom Cruise vehicle, Vanilla Sky) as well as 2001's creepy tale-with-a-twist, The Others. Therefore, naturally, I've come to expect nothing short of an amazing story from this Spanish maestro and Mar Adentro does not disappoint.
Mar Adentro tells the true story of a man, Ramon Sampedro, who lived 29 years as a quadriplegic, after a freak diving accident broke his neck and severed his spinal cord at the age of 26. Aided by a human rights activist and a lawyer (who suffers from a lethal, degenerative disease herself), Ramon has to fight the Spanish courts for his right to die with "dignity".
From the movie's sypnosis, one might easily conclude that this is simply a weepy, euthanasia-themed movie but actually, it is not quite so. To his credit, Amenabar never resorts to cheap Hollywood tricks to engage the audience; there are no clever conversations, no loud outbursts of emotion and no picture-perfect actors present. What we have, instead, are some very subdued, yet powerful, performances from a convincing cast, complemented by some of the most scenic backdrops and lush music I've ever seen and heard. It isnt difficult to see why Javier Bardem (who plays Ramon) was nominated in many award festivals worldwide (and won some of them) for his acting. Playing the role of a quadriplegic, he can only depend on his voice and facial expressions to breathe life to his character -- and he accomplished this to remarkable effect while spending most of his onscreen time confined to a bed!
Amazingly, Mar Adentro does not submit itself to being a pro-euthanasia film but rather, works more as the biography of man who wishes to exercise the right to do as he sees fit with his own life. Those who hate maudlin dramas need not fear; the film is almost never too embarassingly schmaltzy and always balanced with good humor throughout. Definitely a must see for foreign-film lovers... my ratings -- 4.3/5 stars!!!
