Alejandro Amenábar/Spain/2004; R4
Anthony Jay, Jonathan Lynn/UK/1986-87; R4 (2-disc)
Roadshow, NZ$34.95/59.95 | Reviewed by Alexander Bisley

IT'S disquieting to see the great Javier Bardem, such a sensual, lively presence in films like The Dancer Upstairs and Live Flesh, play a man whose body is so cruelly withering away in The Sea Inside. The Oscar-lauded film tells the true story of Ramon Sampredo, the Spanish artist, who challenged the Spanish government for thirty years for the right to end his life after a horrific swimming accident left him a quadriplegic. As Ramon, the great Javier Bardem is once again passionate, generous and brilliant.

He’s ably supported by Belen Rueda, Lola Duenas and Mabel Rivera as key women in his life. Intelligent arguments for and against euthanasia are made by Ramon and his family, friends and various other parties. You can understand the terror that led Ramon to write his biography Letters From Hell; conversely, his wisdom, sensitivity, grace and humour make an outstanding case against him finishing his life.

Alejandro Amenábar (The Others) directs elegantly; Bardem and he cope admirably with the constraints of much of the drama being confined to one room and one man’s face. Flashbacks and fantasy sequences are perceptively employed – there are some beautiful moments where Ramon longs for the sea.

Like The Sea Inside, Yes Prime Minister – The Complete Series 1 & 2 is perceptive. The game here is political satire. What’s not to enjoy about the zinger-packed trials and tribulations of Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey, Private Bernard and Prime Minister Jim Hacker?

The Sea Inside disc contains a number of valuable supplements, namely an audio commentary by Amenábar (in Spanish with additional English subtitles), and a comprehensive making-of documentary running at 84 minutes in length. Also available are various menu-navigated galleries, three deleted/alternate scenes and a theatrical trailer. There are no extras present on the Yes, Prime Minister 3-disc set, which includes 16 full episodes from the BBC series (a boxset of Series 1 & 2 discs).