THE SEA INSIDE

GENRE:  Drama/ Biographical
MADE:  2004
CAST:  Javier Bardem, Belen Rueda, Lola Duenas
DIRECTOR:  Alejandro Amenabar
WRITER:  Alejandro Amenabar, Mateo Gil

PLOT:  A biographical film about Ramon Sampedro who campaigned for 30 years for pro-choice euthanasia brought about by his full body paralysis.

PARALLEL UNIVERSE:  The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Before Night Falls, Biutiful

SCORE:

THESPIAN OF THE WEEK: Javier Bardem

Name:  Javier Angel Encinas Bardem

AKA:  Javier Bardem

From:  Spain

Date of birth:  March 1, 1969

Specialty:  Actor

TIME interview with Javier Bardem

JAVIER BARDEM FILM TO WATCH

Before Night Falls
Biographical Drama

Biutiful
Drama

No Country for Old Men
Crime Drama Thriller

The Sea Inside
Biographical Drama

GOYA'S GHOSTS

GENRE:  Biographical/ Drama/ Water
MADE:  2006
CAST:  Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard
DIRECTOR:  Milos Forman
WRITER:  Milos Forman, Jean-Claude Carriere

PLOT:  The story of painter Francisco Goya and his muse who is an outcast in society.

PARALLEL UNIVERSE:  Frida, Seraphine, Pollock, Girl With A Pearl Earring, Amadeus

SCORE:

BEFORE NIGHT FALLS

GENRE:  Biographical/ Drama/ Foreign
MADE:  2000
CAST:  Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, Olatz Lopez Garmendia
DIRECTOR:  Julian Schnabel
WRITER:  Cunningham O'Keefe, Lazaro Gomez Carriles, Julian Schnabel, Reynaldo Arenas, Jana Bokova

PLOT:  A biogaphical film on the life of Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas.

PARALLEL UNIVERSE:  The Seas Inside, Milk, Total Eclipse

SCORE:

VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

GENRE:  Drama/ Romance
MADE:  2008
CAST:  Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz
DIRECTOR:  Woody Allen
WRITER:  Woody Allen

PLOT:  Vicky and Cristina are on vacation in Barcelona when they meet a tall dark and handsome artist... and his tempestuous ex-wife.

PARALLEL UNIVERSE:  Crimes And Misdemeanors, Annie Hall, The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion

SCORE:

EAT PRAY LOVE

GENRE:  Drama
MADE:  2010
CAST:  Julia Roberts,  James Franco, Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins
DIRECTOR:  Ryan Murphy
WRITER:  Ryan Murphy, Jennifer Salt

PLOT:  After a divorce and a realization that she needs to change her life, Elizabeth goes on a 1-year trip to Italy, India and Bali in search of herself.

PARALLEL UNIVERSE:  The Beaver, Larry Crowne, Everything Is Illuminated

SCORE:

NOTE:  I was really excited to watch this film but was terribly let down in the end.  My conclusion is that  you most likely will not like the film unless you are a middle-aged woman and/or going through a mid-life crisis, so unless you are one or both of these thing, skip it.