Sea Inside, The MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -3 1/2

This Spanish drama with subtitles tells the real-life story of Ramn Sampedro (Javier Bardem) who as a young man was paralyzed from the neck down in a diving accident. Living in his brothers home, he spends his life in bed and begins a campaign to commit suicide, believing life as a quadriplegic has no dignity. With the help of an organization that supports his quest, he fights a battle with the Spanish government and his family to be able to die with dignity. Ramns infectious personality makes him a cult hero as he gains support across Spain. He develops a relationship with two women (Belen Rueda, Lola Duenas) who initially dont understand his desire, but they later have a change of heart. One of the women is a single mother who has never been treated well by men until she meets Ramn. He tells her, To love me is to help me die. As the movie ends, we see the depth of her love.

This is a disturbing movie with a dangerous worldview. Ramn is a pleasant, likable man who believes that his life is not worth living. He is under the loving care of his family who does not support his death wish. In a court hearing, an attorney argues that the state is defending a religious position in a secular nation. The only religious voice is a callous Catholic priest, also a quadriplegic, who believes the problem to be Ramns unloving family. Ramns sister-in-law (Mabel Rivera) is devastated by the comment and confronts the priest, much to the delight of the audience. As the movie ends, Ramn smiles at the woman who assists him and says he has a hunch that there is nothing (no life) after death. The movie communicates the pain in the choices concerning euthanasia, and some will therefore find a 3.5 acceptability to be harsh. But Preview cannot recommend a movie that offers a worldview in opposition to the Creator of life.

Preview Reviewer: Henry J. Rogers
Distributor: Fine Line Features