Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) was a successful journalist, the editor of the fashion magazine Elle, when he suffered a severe stroke. He was left with something called “locked-in syndrome” that left him able to move nothing but one eyelid. This is a film made by an artist, Julian Schnabel (Before Night Falls), so insistent on his vision that he made this story of a French man in French, which is notable because he’s American. It’s a notably artistic film, aimed at presented the experience of its subject, not his life.
The first third of the movie is shot entirely from Bauby’s point of view. We hear his thoughts, we see his at-first blurred vision, and so on. Confusion, annoyance, and frustration, along with sometimes wry observation, predominate, not sadness or self-pity. In other words, it’s not nearly as depressing as you’d think. It’s about the taking stock of one’s life, not death. Bauby reacts to visits from his doting ex-wife (Emmanuelle Seigner), his attractive (he notices) therapists, and his former business associates, with a mind as sharp as in health. When we see him, eventually, it’s a shock. This is an impressionistic movie, not plot-driven, and so may not be to everyone’s taste. At the same time, it’s unique and beautiful, with camera work that exquisitely conveys Bauby’s point of view.
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