The Deepest Breath

Captivating storytelling. The filming technique was spectacular. What impressed me most was how the mass collection of varying sources were orchestrated so seamlessly. After watching, my immediate reaction was of bitterness towards Alessia Zecchini. My interpretation of how the movie portrayed her was as an immature, selfish, attention-seeking person. It was disappointing for me not to hear her say she loved Stephen Keenan. I unfairly judged her based on my skewed perception of her portrayal. Even if I had been there, I have no right to judge. The guilt she felt must have been gutting to say the least. I sincerely hope others are kind to her and don't perceive the character she was portrayed as the way I did.

Beautiful and profound and a celebration of love and life and living. It gripped me as much as Free Solo did in its edge of seat drama and tension. So cleverly structured and paced. I could sense its foreboding nature throughout but still could not anticipate the final heart wrenching outcome. Emotional and beautiful storytelling. Thank you for sharing this very personal story set against a beautiful score. I could not look away for a second and was transported into this unknown world, not experienced since The Big Blue. If you loved that film, this one will stay with you too. I will carry this story with me for a long time. Bravo!

Where to begin. First, the biggest structural mistake in a documentary is to treat the audience as stupid. This documentary does that tremendously well. 10/10 for that.

It frames everything with a build up to a climax, only to bait and switch the climax on the assumption you dont know the story or you wouldnt look it up prior to watching. In this day and age its a cardinal sin to assume this. Its also why a documentary like Senna is one of the greats. Kapadia doesnt assume the audience is stupid and everyone knows the end, so its more about the journey. Here, its as though youre taken on one journey only to fall down a "lets pretend secret" trapdoor. 0/10.

Second main flaw is the main character isnt very likeable and that seems to be the case from start to finish. 0/10.

Otherwise it was well made. This is where the 5 marks came from.

Ps. What an utterly stupid activity.

There's much to love about free diving, but you won't find it in this film. The subjects have so much ego, are so competitive and goal-oriented that they degrade what coule be an art, or even a spiritual practice, into just another dumb extreme sport.

The only people with an iota of self-reflection or wisdom are the characters fathers, which is kind of suprising considering how free diving can be a transcendental experience.

The sea is just a backdrop for their ambitions and awards. No mention of the physiology of freediving, the the cultures in which it is tradtionally practiced, the stunning (and threatened) marine environments where they dive. It might as well be a documentary about tennis or golf.

Wow this movie has to be the most heart touching, movies I have encountered in such a long time! Oh my goodness this documentary was just beautiful! I know im not the only who cried. I do not think I have ever cried to a documentary before, but i can down right tell you, this one is the first. Down to the pictures, the recorded footage, the recorded audio, actal people who were really there to experience every minute of the journey that took place, was just astonishing. I love how the timeline of the story was at a steady pace. It wasnt a drag nor did not seemed to leave any important parts out. It told a beautiful story. Just AMAZING!