The Impossible

Starring: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast
Directed by: Juan Antonio Bayona
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A family vacationing in Thailand is ripped apart when the 2004 tsunami hits their resort. They are injured, scattered, and must fight for survival.

Review:

Tim: I enjoyed The Impossible- it's a shocking true story about one family, whose lives were impacted by the devastating tsunami in December 2004. It's a story of survival and of the human spirit. Those kinds of movies aren't made nearly enough any more. The story is occasionally hard to believe. While some liberties were undoubtedly taken, the fact that this story has any truth at to it is amazing. I'm really glad this film was made, simply because it calls to attention the devastation and the death created by this natural disaster. It boggles my mind that over 230,000 people lost their lives in this event. In the United States, it's easy for us to forget the impact and to move on with our lives, as we weren't really affected. I love that this film reminds us of that horrible event, and it helps us appreciate the gravity of it.

This film's biggest strength is that it allows us to identify with each of the characters. There's nothing particularly special about this family- it's a father, mother, and their three boys. They are on an exotic vacation, but they struggle with the same things millions of families around the globe struggle with. Their ordinariness is what allows us as the audience to connect with them. They did nothing wrong, they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they are swept up in events beyond their imagination. That was one of the scariest parts of the movie- there was no warning, nothing any of them could do. Something like this could happen to any of us.

I thought the film did a good job of depicting the suddenness of the tsunami. It really appeared without any warning. I didn't, however, love the initial view of it. I wanted a little more evidence of its awesome power and destruction. Later in the film, we see another scene that gives us more details as to the horrifying nature of it. I wish more time was spent on the front end. Now, while the initial scene wasn't incredible, all those that follow do. I had no idea what it would be like, and the movie did a fantastic job of bringing it to life. It would basically be like a huge, powerful, rushing river suddenly appeared where you were. It swept everything up. The fast-moving water was dangerous, but not nearly as deadly as the wide array of debris moving with you. That anyone could survive a tsunami like that truly is amazing. Those sequences were incredibly tense and nerve-wracking. They were probably my favorite moments of the film, for their sheer volume of intensity. It was thrilling to watch a mother and son trying to reach each other amid the vast, raging waters.

Once the waters calmed down, the fight for survival continued. The film did a good job of depicting the devastation and the problems the survivors would encounter. There were obviously injuries, overcrowded hospitals, inadequate supplies, lack of communication, and more. The tsunami was terrible, but the aftermath was still significantly bad. The remainder of the movie is not quite as intense, but interesting as we watch this family fight for survival, and to reunite with their missing loved ones.

Now, I really liked this movie, but I can't say that I loved it. This is only director Juan Antonio Bayona's second feature film. While he is talented, I thought he could have taken the whole film to another level. After the initial tsunami (which was extremely intense), he needed to give us more of a reason to be concerned. After the initial high, everything else felt less in comparison. There were a few moments that really caused me to scratch my head. There's a scene where it appears that a character has died, but there's no resolution, no explanation. I think this was an attempt to create suspense, but it really just frustrated me. I knew there was no way the character would die without any fanfare or mining that event, so the whole thing just made me wonder what was happening. I was confused, not intrigued. There are a few moments that felt a bit manipulative, but even still, I had to wipe my eyes a few times at the end. The film deserves credit for evoking that emotion.

While I wouldn't say The Impossible was a great movie, it's certainly a good one. It features a very strong performance by Naomi Watts- she's the heart of the first half of the film, and is quite good. She demonstrates the inner drive and strength that a mother would have in this situation, risking her own life to protect her children. Watts scored the film's only Academy Award nomination, for Best Actress. I'm glad she was nominated. Ewan McGregor gives a good performance too, but he's easy to overlook because Watts is so strong.

I very much enjoyed this movie. While it'll never be in the conversation for best movie of 2012, it was a powerful, inspiring story, and one that is well worth seeing.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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