2013
12A
Directed by Juan Antonia Bayona
Starring Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland
This film chronicles the impossible account of one family that became caught up and then separated in one of the worst natural catastrophes of all time.
I first saw the trailer for this movie before the showing of The Hobbit in December and it didn't exactly take my fancy. For no reason other than it felt like Hollywood was cashing in on tragedy and that it was too soon to make a disaster movie on the subject of the 2004 Tsunami. After watching The Impossible, it is unfair to call this film 'a disaster movie'. Stories like this about human courage, spirit and miraculous eventualities do need retelling. What I thought was going to be exploited and hammed up became to be a respectful, sensitive and immensely harrowing treatment of the story about one family overcoming the impossible.
This has got to be truly one of the most emotional films in recent years; emotions ranging from horror and distress to relief and happiness. Immensely powerful and heart wrenching performances from McGregor and Watts, in particular, are the heart of the film. This is a film about people and the performances across the board managed to stand up to, and overpower, some potent and breath taking special effects. The Impossible makes dire straights, that most of us thankfully struggle to comprehend, become a visceral and audible reality. There is little awareness in the audience of this being a CGI tsunami, and the horrendous fact of the matter is, in reality it certainly was not CGI. While this film is by no means 'entertaining' it is a must-see just to appreciate the overwhelming power of mother nature, and the remarkable odds one family beats in order to be reunited.
Rating: 6.5
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