The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007 film) (revisited)

Revisiting this masterpiece some time after the shock of it faded (and without a celestial being disguised as a cocker spaniel poodle mix to offer emotional support and inadvertently dull the edge of some scenes), what strikes me now is how “Butterfly” gets you into the head and literal perspective of the protagonist without making the first-person shots seem boring or unprofessional. The pseudo-experimental dream sequences shine but having these smash into the reality the main character faced, combined with subtle but substantial care for tableau, means there’s no part of this film that doesn’t look marvelous. Arguably peak cinema.

10