the sea inside ( 2004 ) javier bardem and belen rueda and lola duenas and mabel rivera and celso bugallo and joan dalmau and alberto jimenez and tamar nova and francesc garrido and jose maria pou and alberto amarilla and nicolas fernandez luna . ( dir represent alejandro amenabar ) an inspiring tale of a living death while bardem be superbthe true life account of spanish quadriplegic ramon sampedro and his petition to fulfill his desire for euthanasia by the right to die may not be consider a likely source of inspiration but this film be just that . sampedro ( play superbly by bardem ) be a virile and energetic young man when he lose the function to his limb after a tragic diving accident ( recount horrifically in flashback with a visceral jolt to the sens ) and for nearly thirty year lay paralyze in bed while his love family care to his every need . although his ability to move be nil his mind be very much active and proved skillful a an inventor and poet and author and artist that keep his mind busy until he could no longer bear the thought of living longer in his stunted condition . enter beautiful yet also afflict with a crippling disease attorney julia ( the ethereal rueda who match bardem beautifully a if they be indeed soul mate ) be hire to see through sampedro final wish to end his life and in turn become an aide de camp when he begin to open up to her like to no one ever before . not too long have time pass and julia begin to investigate her charge past discover many letter hide away by his family . when julia confronts ramon with this he at first be reluctant to discuss any thing with her but eventually he agree with her that this may help his case and the project become a book in the make a memoir or biography by way of free style poetry and prose . the film be a heartbreaking tale of the human spirit and how love eventually triumph over heart ache in many form include for ramon the unlikely love he share with a complete stranger name rosa ( duenas ) a single mother who see him on tv one day inspire her to bicycle to his remote farmhouse in spain to get to know him and possibly change his mind about end his life . filmmaker amenabar and who co write with mateo gil the fascinating screenplay and allow some fantasy into the mix when ramon envision himself magically leave his bed and fly across the bucolic landscape to the eventual sea where he suffer so many year ago the cruel twist of fate that have imprison him for three decade . the film be not a complete downer with a sly wit and occasionally humorous tone throughout that doesn not dilute the impact of the story final act . kudos also to the remarkable make up job by james and jo allen do a tremendous job in age the vibrant bardem to an age man to full effect that should get them an acadamy award nod . bardem and rueda deserve oscar nomination a two people with so much in common and despite rueda julia be marry to a loving and dot husband and that a pair of people so make for one another it be down right impossible they be never together to begin with . that just one of the cruelty that ring true but it be not by definition of the film a it whole while it be a must see and one of the year best .