Amy's Robot

Biopic Smackdown: Beyond the Sea vs. The Sea Inside

One film stars Kevin Spacey. One film is in Spanish. One is about a teen idol you don’t really know that much about; one is about a Spanish guy you think you might have heard of sometime. What the hell are these movies? Inside the Sea Beyond? Beyond the Inside of the Sea? See Beyond the Inside?

Dear readers, you're not the only ones who are baffled by the simultaneous release of two similarly-named films. As a public service, we’ve put together this handy reference guide. Please feel free to print it out and bring it to the box office to avoid confusion:

The Story:
The Sea Inside: Soulful dreamboat Javier Bardem plays quadriplegic activist Ramon Sampedro, a deeply bitter man who petitions to end his own life.
Beyond the Sea: Soulless ghoul Kevin Spacey plays teen idol Bobby Darin, a deeply bitter man who ruins his own life.

Based on a true story?
TSI: Yes
BTS: Yes

Otherworldly light in the movie poster?
TSI: Yes
BTS: Yes

Catchy theme song that was also featured on last week's Lost?
TSI: No
BTS: Yes

Family Drama?
TSI: Yes. Sampedro’s deeply religious family is committed to keeping him alive despite his wishes.
BTS: You better believe it! The woman Darin believed was his mother was his grandmother; he was raised thinking his biological mother was his older sister.

Crippling disabilities?
TSI: Sampedro becomes a quadriplegic as the result of a youthful accident.
BTS: Darin has a weak heart from a youthful illness. Bonus: he's also emotionally crippled.

Age-appropriate casting?
TSI: Not really. "An excellent makeup job has given the 35-year-old actor the thinning, grayish hair and doughy pallor of a physically inactive man 20 years his senior."
BTS: No. "At 45, Mr. Spacey is far too old to play Darin."

Potentially creepy love story?
TSI: Not one, but two, lovely ladies fall for the immobilized Bardem.
BTS: Deliciously nubile Kate Bosworth falls for the asexual Spacey, a man approximately 43 years her senior.

Vanity Project?
TSI: To the extent that playing a quadriplegic activist fighting for the right to die basically translates to "Give me Awards," sure.
BTS: Oh, yes.

Running Time?
TSI: Too long. 125 minutes.
BTS: Too long. 118 minutes.

Escape from a living hell?
TSI: Ramon's friends set up an elaborate suicide, which allows him to die while implicating no one.
BTS: Only when the movie ends, I'm afraid.

Further Reading:
Film Review: Beyond the Sea [NYT]
Film Review: The Sea Inside [NYT]

categories: Movies
posted by Emily at 4:44 PM | #