"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (***1/2)

Last year Darren Aronofsky did it with "The Fountain," as well as Alfonso Cuaron with "Children to Men." These are filmmakers that test the boundaries of film, creating instant masterpieces that demand to be watched. Julian Schnabel has joined that elite group of filmmakers with "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," creating an original, visually intoxicating masterpiece.

The true story follows Jean-Dominique Bauby, the editor of Elle France, who suffered a stroke in 1995 that left his whole body paralyzed except for his left eye. Using a system of dictating his thoughts by blinking his eye, he is able to translate his inner thoughts into a memoir about the torment that his situation is putting him through (the diving bell) and the imagined places he sees in his mind to help cope with his predicament (the butterflies). Ten days after the publication of his memoir, Bauby would pass away. It is really a fascinating story of a man overcoming adversity. It does drag in parts, but it's hard for the viewer to take his or her eyes away from the screen.

The performances in the film are good. Mathieu Amalric is good as Bauby, but the film is seen mostly from his perspective, so it is hard to gauge his performance. Marie-Josse Croze is engaging as Bauby's speech therapist, Henriette. She is determined to help Bauby overcome insurmountable odds. Even though he is only on screen for two scenes, Max von Sydow delivers the most emotional performance as Bauby's father who has to cope with his own situation as well as his son's. He is unable to leave his apartment and dearly misses his son who is locked in his own body. The agony of this utter remoteness takes a great toll on him, and the scene in which he calls Bauby is very powerful.

While the story and performances may be good, the film excels visually. Most of the film is seen from Bauby's perspective. The viewer's view is limited to that one eye. When Bauby blinks, the camera shutters. The viewer is also able to hear Bauby's inner thoughts, creating a wonderful, poetic narration. Janusz Kaminski, in my opinion, should win Best Cinematography at this year's Academy Awards (still haven't seen The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, however), but I haven't even seen him on people's prediction pages. Julian Schnabel also should be nominated for Best Director, creating an riveting, emotional experience like no other film before.

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" is a modern masterpiece by a truly gifted filmmaker. The story, even though it may drag in parts, is engaging. The film's biggest strength is in telling a story by actually simulating one man's experience. It is a film that should be seen as one of the visually cinematic masterpieces of the decade.