THE SEA INSIDE/ RORY O'SHEA WAS HERE

review by Terri Wall

Synchronicity yet again. This week I saw two foreign films about the same subject matter - The Sea Inside and Rory O'Shea Was Here. The Sea Inside is a Spanish film based on a true story starring Javier Bardeem as Ramon and Rory O'Shea Was Here is an Irish film. Both movies are about quadraplegics who are fiercely determined to choose their own fates even though those choices are completely opposite.

Both Ramon and Rory desperately want to end their existences where they are completely dependent on others, but in very different ways. In The Sea Inside Ramon's character has been paralyzed for 29 years as the result of a diving accident and now he wants to 'die with dignity', while Rory O'Shea (played by James McAvoy), a 20-year-old with Muscular Dystrophy, fights to become emancipated and not have to live in a care facility where he cannot live by his own rules. Ramon petitions the Spanish courts to allow him to commit assisted suicide and Rory petitions the Government agency in charge of people with disabilities to give him an assisted living allowance so he can get his own apartment. Ramon's request is turned down because the Church is against suicide for any reason and it has such a strong influence on the Spanish government. Rory's request is refused on the grounds that he is too immature and wild to live on his own.

Rory is moved to Carrigmore Home in Dublin where he meets Michael Connolly (played by Steven Roberson), another wheelchair-bound young man about his own age, who has Cerebal Palsy and has spent his whole life at Carrigmore being complacent and docile. Michael has a very bad speech impediment and yearns to be understood. He is thrilled when Rory arrives and can understand him. Rory quickly becomes Michael's interpreter and influences Michael to take more chances in his life. Rory persuades Michael to apply for the government stipend and when Michael is approved, the boys move into their own apartment together.

Both films show us the importance of living your life the way you want to live it, no matter what the circumstances and not letting anyone or anything stand in your way.

Of the two Rory O'Shea is the much lighter film, although there is a lot of humor and romance in both. Both are definitely worth seeing.

Just in case you think I only like movies about really serious dark themes, I also saw Hitch and loved it. Unfortunately it's not the kind of movie that lends itself to an 'Aquarius-style' review. As in life, we learn more from pain than from laughter, but if you just want to have a good time, go to see Hitch.

The Sea Inside was written by Alejandro Amenábar and Mateo Gil and directed by Alejandro Amenábar. It is in Spanish with English subtitles.

Rory O'Shea Was Here was written by Jeffrey Caine and Christian O'Reilly and directed by Damien O'Donnell. It is in English though at times the thick Irish accents are difficult to understand.