i just saw mar ardentro and felt that i have to comment on this film . euthanasia be a difficult topic in any field and unfortunately be can sometimes distort the true value of a movie . many people have rave about the excellent cast and it beautiful imagery or camera work . certainly javier bardem be an actor that bring something extra to each film he make . to say that he encompass the real sampredo be a little silly since i do not think that any of the reviewer have know sampredo personally . to lie still and use a certain charm be a act skill that although well perform doesn not constitute a perfect performance . bardem just do what he do well . and that it . the camera work be beautiful and evokes feeling and perspective that the movie itself lack to deliver . sampredo here be show a a man that be bend on die so much that he leave his love family behind and marries a woman that he only seek out when the other will not help him in his quest for a dignified death . now i be not here to say anything about the right for or against euthanasia . the problem be that when comment movie like this you can hardly escape it . the movie subject be so strong that youre almost compel to discuss the movie in that strong subject matter . i find it a weakness for the movie unintentionally portray sampredo a a unsymphatetic character . someone who be much smarter then his family a portray in the simple cousin that doesn not get the double layered poem direct towards him . someone who will leave a loving and care family because he think his life be undignified . a scene that be juxtapose to the female lawyer who accord to the movie make the wrong choice end up in a far state of dementia thus indicate that sampredo choice be the right one . the woman that constantly seek him out be almost disregard for the beautiful lawyer but suddenly be marry by sampredo when she agree to help him die . these choice make sampredo into a calculated figure no matter how charm bardem portray him . argumentive i would say it doesn not convince fully and i kinda think that amenabar do not intend on add this unbalanced element in his film . for a young director it still an impressive film and it certainly have it strong moment ( the discussion between the priest and sampredo for instance ) . the camera work be impressive and the film be well act . but positive . no the movie doesn not reach that excellence .