"The Sea Inside" is more notable for its performances than for its exploration of the hot-button topic of euthanasia and the right-to-die movement.

Other recent films have dealt with the same subject matter and have done it much more effectively. But "The Sea Inside" never really manages to score; it seems to believe that euthanasia is a clear-cut, black-and-white subject but fails to present a very convincing argument.

What really makes the film watchable is yet another terrific lead performance by Javier Bardem, an actor who only gets better with age. He stars as Ramon Sampedro, the real-life Spanish author whose case continues to inspire right-to-die advocates in Europe.

Sampedro was paralyzed from the neck down and was confined to a bed for 30 years — the result of a freak diving accident that occurred while he was still in his teens. His older brother (Celso Bugallo) and other family members are more than happy to take care of him and see to his needs, but Ramon wants to die — or as he puts it, to bring his life "to a dignified end."

So he solicits the help of Julia (Belen Rueda), a lawyer who's lobbying the Spanish government on his behalf. He's also won the devotion of Rosa (Lola Duenas), a single mother and radio host who hopes to change his mind.

The filmmakers make it appear that there is a lot for Sampedro to live for, including the love of two very different women — which only weakens the film's main supposition.

Co-screenwriter/director Alejandro Amenabar ("The Others") downplays his usual style-heavy flourishes, save for a couple of fantasy sequences that add some much-needed life to the sometimes dour proceedings.

As for the performances, Rueda and Duenas both have their moments, but it's Bardem's show. As Sampedro, he's charismatic and commanding, and he elevates the somewhat sketchy material, making it better.

"The Sea Inside" is rated PG-13 for occasional use of strong profanity and some crude sexual slang terms, brief sexual contact, brief drug content (cyanide use) and some violent imagery (the diving accident). Running time: 125 minutes.

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E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com