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Alejandro Amenabar returns from his two breathtaking metaphysical thrillers (Open Your Eyes and The Others) for a routine disease-of-the-week film. Javier Bardem gives a tour-de-force performance as quadriplegic Ramón Sampedro, who after 30 years in bed, wishes to die with dignity, despite his life looking pretty good. He has beautiful women (Belén Rueda and Lola Dueñas) fawning over him and a book of his poetry has just been published.
Amenabar manages one great scene in which Sampedro argues with a wheelchair-bound priest, sending a messenger up and down the stairs. Yet the movie only wishes to make a soapbox stand about whether people have the right to decide their deaths, but never comes to terms with the how or why. It's simple and streamlined, and all that's left is Bardem's bid for Oscar glory, emoting using only his eyes and voice. Not to worry, though: Amenabar provides plenty of flashback footage of a healthy Sampedro so we see the shirtless Bardem strutting on the beach.