Lo imposible

I checked this movie out because of the actors, and damn did they deliver. Ewan McGreggor and Naomi Watts are superb, as always, but it's Tom Holland (in his first breakout role) that steals the show. Arguably, he's the central character (although all three of those actors take center stage at various times), and he easily showcases a star on the rise.

The film itself is a sucker punch. It hits hard and keeps you hooked either through suspense or heartache. One caveat though: this is by far the most intense and difficult PG-13 film I've ever seen. I'm sure it was rated R until it was toned down for the MPAA, and it probably squeaked by with it's PG-13 rating by only a hair. If you're have difficulty with reality based trauma or are in a headspace that might not tolerate this well, give it some time before you see it--it doesn't hold back what being in a tsunami would feel like. I actually thought it WAS rated R until I checked out the IMDb page.

Overall, this is a good watch and a story that should be seen.

Maria (Naomi Watts) and Henry (Ewan McGregor) are on vacation with their three young kids in Thailand. It's a picture perfect trip at a coastal hotel. Suddenly a tsunami hits and the family is scattered.

Naomi Watts gives a harrowing performance. It's a true life story of a family dealing with the 2004 Christmas Indian Ocean tsunami. The action scenes are unbelievable. The scale of it all and the danger it depicts is truly realistic. The performance that Naomi gives is absolutely Oscar worthy. She is truly believable as a mother fighting for her life as she loses track of her family. There are a lot of tear jerking moments here. Some of them pushes a little too far. But it never gets completely fake. Ewan McGregor plays the father who has an incredible scene with a cell phone. Highly recommended.

I watched The Impossible with a clear intention to remain a little emotionally detached. I knew from the trailer that a disaster was imminent from the word go, so I braced myself for impact and kept my fingers crossed that Ewan Mcgregor was going to give more than the lack luster performance that i feel like I've been growing accustomed to. Okay, so i was crying from about 10 minutes into the film. While McGregor is credible, although still not a return to form, the real performance here is from Naomi Watts. She is gripping to watch, and lends credibility to the rest of the cast as she watches the world fall apart around her. I winced, squirmed and spent many minutes forgetting to breathe. An emotional roller-coaster which, while somewhat lacking in depth in storyline, more than makes up for it with a strong edit. Great job with an average script.

It would be impossible to try and capture the widespread loss and destruction of this horrible, devastating event. The scope was so large and far too many people lost their lives to even attempt to portray on film. Instead, director Juan Antonio Bayona and screenwriter Sergio G. Sánchez focused smartly on the true story of one family's struggle for survival amongst all that had happened on December 26th, 2004.

This allows the film to be much more intimate, and the audience is quickly able to connect with the Bennett family, starting simply with their arrival to Thailand. While the audience was filled with dread in anticipation of what was to come, the Bennetts were blissfully unaware and enjoying themselves over vacation. However, everything soon takes a terrifying turn as the tsunami hits their resort in a horrifyingly realistic manner, sweeping up people as they attempt to flee before it or protect themselves from its awesome power.

At this point, I, too, felt like I was drowning. The camera bobs in and out of darkness, in and out of the water, as the family's matriarch, Maria, struggles for breath. Then, clinging hopelessly onto a palm tree, she screams all too realistically for anyone who could possibly help her in a desperate, surprisingly shocking moment. It is at this point where she spots her son, Lucas, floating in the fierce waves, and I held my breath as the struggled for what seemed like an eternity to reunite in the water.

In a way, Lucas, brilliantly portrayed by newcomer Tom Holland, carries the film from this point forward. He takes on the role of protecting his stubborn yet badly injured mother, and in the process he's forced to mature far too quickly. During every moment, his emotions and facial expressions convey more than any words ever could, as she shies away from and is frightened by his mother's injuries and nudity, all the while attempting to deal with the scope of the pain and devastation.

However, it is his mother, Maria, whom the film truly centers around. Naomi Watts gives quite possibly her finest performances to date, portraying harrowing desperation, stubborn determination in the face of incredible pain and agony, and, ultimately, a sense of love and care despite her deteriorating state. True, she is bedridden for about half the film, but it is during this time where there are these small moments of tenderness and humility which undoubtedly makes Watts's performance one of the best of the year.

In fact, the entire cast was exceptional, including Ewan McGregor, the father desperately trying to put together his family again, and the two littlest sons, Thomas, played by Samuel Joslin, and Simon, played by Oaklee Pendergast, both of whose innocence prevented them from thoroughly capturing the extent of this tragic event. The story of these three is intertwined with that of Maria and Lucas, as they all struggle for survive amidst the destruction and reunite amidst the chaos.

Ultimately, this is a touching and heartwarming film, as the true kindness of humanity can be seen in this time of great loss. Yes, the tsunami is terrifying, the injuries gruesome and shockingly realistic, and the pain and suffering visible on just about everyone's faces. However, the Bennetts' story is a remarkable one of love, determination, and hope, and it simply cannot be missed.

Disaster films have an odd reputation, often merely dismissed as popcorn fodder, so it's strange to have a film billed as such but to put character and drama over spectacle. Then again, as it's based on a true story, it's probably unfair to label 'The Impossible' as such a movie because the plight of the characters is at its heart throughout the entire duration. Perhaps this film is best described as a family drama with elements of disaster, then.

The Boxing Day tsunami was one of those events that put our lives into perspective, and the film achieves the same feat. Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts play the parents of three children who decide to spend an exotic Christmas in Thailand. Suitcases are unpacked, presents are exchanged, but the sense of impending disaster is overwhelmingly unsettling. When the inevitable does happen, the following 15 minutes are intense, realistic and terrifying; an onslaught of terrific practical effects and incredible sound design. However, after that concentrated outburst, the drama shifts down a gear to a more intimate, personal level, which is no less frightful.

That is why this film shines; it's about the smaller picture. By focusing on the survival of this one family rather than the scale of the event itself, a better, and more human, representation of the disaster is displayed. The performances from the central cast are nothing short of spectacular, especially Tom Holland, who carries the film for a hefty chunk of the running time with a gravitas that many older actors would fail to achieve.

Many criticisms have been made in the press about the anglicisation of the story; in reality, the family was Spanish. To me, that seemed to be a decision to globalise this story to the maximum amount of people, a decision that was warranted in my eyes. Thus, the main issue with the film was the score to be unnecessarily overriding in certain scenes, adding an unwanted sentimentality to the film. The scenes which worked best were confrontational, uncompromising and, you guessed it, without a swelling orchestra. Nevertheless, this is a minor gripe considering that this is a film where tears are wholeheartedly justified.

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