Customer Reviews

The Impossible [DVD] [2013]

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Viewed at an advance screening, this is a truly uplifting and, at times, harrowing drama based upon the true story of the Spanish Beyon family (albeit here portrayed as British). A Christmas vacation turns into the worst possible nightmare when the Tsunami that devastated much of Thailand in 2004 struck with relentless and enormous force. This wonderfully-crafted film follows the plight of mother Maria (played beautifully by Naomi Watts) and her bossy eldest son Lucas, as they struggle to find shelter and medical help after the catastrophe. Badly injured by the wave, Maria is dependent upon her young son to get her to a hospital. With the help of some remarkably benevolent Thai locals, this is achieved and the majority of the remainder of the film plays out in a hospital that is struggling to contend with a disaster of truly epic proportions.
In parallel to Maria and Lucas' gut-wrenching struggle, is the plight of husband Henry (played superbly by Ewan McGregor) and very young sons Thomas and Simon (remarkable performances from ones so young!). Knowing that his search is hopeless, but feeling an obligation and duty to confirm the loss (in an heartbreaking phone call back to family), McGregor is stunning.
It really is a "what would I do in the same situation" experience. Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, horrifying, life re-affirming.
We sat in stunned silence for a couple of minutes after the credits started to roll. Unforgettable, on many levels.

The Impossible is a film about a family who take a holiday to Thailand at Christmas. Little did they know that one of the world's biggest tsunamis' was about to hit them. When it does hit them the whole family is split apart by this gigantic wave.

The film stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, who play their roles beautifully as the mother (Maria Bennett) and father (Henry Bennett) to three children. This film also stars newcomer Tom Holland who plays the oldest son, (Lucas Bennett) who has to take care of his mum because of her brutal injures.
The scene where the tsunami hits is brilliantly shot, yet so harrowing. The heartbreaking scene where Maria and Lucas try to reach out to each other while being swept away crashing into trees, cars and other dangerous objects, is shattering. It was also devastating when Maria's injuries are revealed and Lucas sees his mother as he has never seen her before.

The special effects in this film are extraordinary, and I wasn't expecting the effect that it would have on me, and I would defy anyone who isn't moved by this astonishing piece of film making.

This film is inspiring and unexpected; I recommend this film to anyone. Even though there is despair, there is still hope.

I didn't know a lot about this film before going to see it but what an experience this film was. The special effects are amazing looking during the tsunami scene at the start, just incredible. The performances of the main cast are incredible especially Tom Holland as Lucas and Naomi Watts as Maria. I'm not usually a fan of Ewan McGregor but here he is incredible as Henry the father.

The film explores the separation of a family in the direct aftermath of the 2004 tsunami and their struggle to survive.

I really don't want to say more other than this is an incredible film well worth seeing.

Before watching this, I'd heard many stories about how tough a watch this is, showing graphic images of the horrific aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami. In the event, I found it to be moving, inspiring and realistic without going in for the sensational horror scenes I had been expecting.
Naomi Watts as the mother, and Tom Holland as the eldest son, give breathtaking performances which are at the heart of this true story, albeit that the actual family were Spanish. Changing their nationality has caused some controversy but I'm not sure that it's an important issue.
Like Schindler's List and United 93, you have to choose your time to watch this. It is moving and upsetting and you have to brace yourself psychologically. But it is ultimately uplifting and a celebration of selfless love and the triumph of the human spirit.

Blimey. 200,000 dead, was it? And a film of hope, of courage, of good old British guts. Spoiler warning, if you've read this far. Yes, they can pay for the insurance to get their private flight to Singapore.

Good points - the kids were all great. Special effects were suitably spectacular. Ewan McGregor, however, managed to perfect his Jedi warrior blandness technique. Maybe in a disaster like that, someone badly injured really would get the personal care that Naomi Watts enjoyed - I'm certainly sure that there were many wonderful doctors and nurses who'd have done more than their best, but I'm guessing that they'd have been so overrun that they'd have been chasing shadows. Still, what do I know, I wasn't there. I hope that everyone got that level of attention.

Sorry, but I found this film so grubby and offensive that I felt I needed a shower after it. A disaster like that, and you focus on the rich people.....ugh.

I thought this movie was too graphic and very emotionally hard hitting, not the film for me! While it was a true story, I feel many things were put in to give it more of a dramatic storyline and it took too long to all come together for me. It was very heartwarming when the family were reunited but even then it didn't really make up for everything!! I love ewan mcgregor but this really wasn't a good film at all! Then again my friend saw this 4 times in the cinema....

If, like me, you've become accustomed to Hollywood's recent obsession with disaster movies, then you might have expected The Impossible to be more of a fast-paced, tension-driven thriller about people trying to survive against the elements. However, this is actually more of a thoughtful, uplifting piece. Yes, we have some special effects near the beginning where a huge tidal wave decimates a holiday resort in Thailand, leaving numerous dead or missing, but the rest of the film is about a family who have become separated with each other, undertaking the monumental task of trying to find each other again in the midst of the aftermath.

With Ewan McGreggor and Naomi Watts as leads, you can expect decent performances, but the stand-out character who steals many of the scenes is the young boy who plays their son and shows how he was forced to cope with growing up far sooner than he ever should have.

It's a good film, if you're looking for drama and a real story of survival against the odds. Just don't expect a rollercoaster of excitement with many thrills and spills along the way.

3.5 out of 5.

THE IMPOSSIBLE
Dir. Juan Bayona / 114 minutes / Cert 12

Juan Bayona follows up his acclaimed 2007 directorial debut The Orphanage with another horror film. Whereas the fear factor of his first feature emanated purely from the otherworldly and the supernatural, The Impossible brings the horror much closer to home, drawing on real-life events, specifically the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami that devastated Indonesia and surrounding areas and claimed over 230,000 innocent lives. I remember watching the television news coverage at the time - my confused fifteen year-old self unable to quite understand what I was seeing, unsure of what it meant and what was going on.

The film creates immediate tension because everybody knows exactly what is going to happen. As an audience, we are powerless, simply awaiting the inevitable; the fatal wave is going to hit and there is nothing we can do to stop it. The fact that our main characters, the Bennett family - father, mother, their three young sons - are blissfully ignorant of the tragedy that is about to befall them (as of course were the quarter of a million unsuspecting victims) only serves to reinforce the sense of dread that hangs over the film's idyllic opening scenes; scenes depicting the calm before the storm, introducing us to a close-knit, moneyed middle-class family, holidaying for Christmas in a luxury apartment. Lanterns illuminate the sky. Celebration, laughter and love, things we take for granted. They have everything, want for nothing... and then the ground starts to tremble.

The reconstruction of the disaster is painful to watch, beautifully repellent and brutally realised. To call it impressive almost seems crass and insensitive, but considering it was shot using no CGI whatsoever deserves some sort of recognition come Oscars night. Obviously, no film dramatisation can ever even remotely approach the abject horror of the real thing, but there's no denying the emotional wallop of the film's extended key sequence. The tsunami itself lasted for almost ten minutes, and Bayona here allows events to play out in real time; the ten minutes stretching out like an unrelenting nightmare, a haunting eternity. Water floods the screen. Never-ending chaos reigns. Broken bodies are swept away like leaves on the wind. Lives become nothing; ripped apart and destroyed forever in the blink of an eye. Hundreds of thousands of untold stories reach horrible, untimely ends. At various points, the cinema winced collectively at the savagery unfolding on screen and for once I was glad of the stench of nearby nachos that filled the air as it reminded me that I was safe, rooted and rigid in my seat.

Judging by the reaction in the (almost full) cinema, I wasn't alone in finding this film deeply upsetting. Towards the end, the tension was palpable, the silence broken only by the sound of many a sniffling nose. The fact that the film affected its audience is a testament to the strength of the central performances from Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor who were both outstanding. Anybody who has seen Mulholland Drive (2001) or 21 Grams (2003) won't need any convincing of Watts's acting credentials, but McGregor's unexpectedly heartbreaking performance as a father in search of his missing wife and son came out of the blue and rather knocked me for six. Recently McGregor has been taking it easy, playing the tweedy leads in romantic comedies such as the enjoyable Beginners (2010) and the endurable Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011), so for him to turn in such a standout performance was a real surprise for me. Likewise, I can't not mention newcomer Tom Holland, who plays eldest son Lucas. At the beginning of the film, Lucas is your typical angst-ridden teenager, but the tsunami strips away all of his cockiness and reduces him to a terrified lost little boy looking for his mother. It's always a good sign when you find yourself immediately browsing the Internet to find an actor's other credits as I found myself doing last night. I was pleased to see that he's already picking up a few awards for his performance.

I think the measure of a good film can be judged on how it leaves you feeling afterwards. A good film stays with you. By the time the credits rolled on The Impossible, I was slumped in my seat, utterly drained. Had I enjoyed the film? Did I approve of the narrative need to find closure in such senseless tragedy? Did the happy ending trivialise a disaster that destroyed so many lives? Do I ever want to see this film again/ I suppose I left the cinema pondering humanity - shown here at its most weak, vulnerable and defenceless, but also at its most brave, resourceful and noble. The camaraderie, the community spirit, the coming together of broken souls in dire times (many of the survivors in fact played by real-life survivors), in my opinion, validates the existence and relevance of this film. Yesterday was New Year's Day, a chance for new beginnings, so perhaps I was feeling more self-reflective than usual, but I came away from The Impossible with one thing going round and round in my head: life is precious.

Went to see this film with my Nan as i saw the trailer on the TV and thought it looked great.
3 minutes in i started crying untill the end. im a 16 year old boy haha.
was the best film i have ever seen. full of Emotion and inspiring parts.
Give it a watch it won't dissapoint.
My new fav film and Ewan Mcgregor is now my fav Actor.
Brilliant.

I ended up watching this film after a friend's recommendation and as a treat to myself for finishing my hardest exam this year. I'd heard it was amazing but sad. So I knew it was going to be a little unhappy, but I honestly wasn't expecting to be sat on my own literally sobbing. This film is genuinely traumatic, but it's honestly so worth watching.
The story of a British family on holiday in Thailand, Christmas 2004 is bound to be hard hitting. From the very beginning this movie hits the audience with blow after blow of traumatic events, right from graphic injuries to the inner suffering of those involved and their loss.
What really makes this a great film is the fantastic acting, particularly from Tom Holland, playing Lucas, the main child role. I was absolutely blown away by his ability to convey emotion to viewers, despite this being his first on-screen role, and he'll definitely be one to watch for the future. Also the mother, played by Naomi Watts, was absolutely fantastic considering the incredibly difficult subject material she had to deal with and the fact that she was supposed to be playing the parent to her child and yet was so injured she couldn't. It was probably this that allowed Holland to completely come into his own and pretty much take the lead in this film. I really can't get over how amazing he was. Ewan McGregor was also wonderful as always, particularly in a scene in which he made a phone call home which was utterly heartbreaking. Additionally the other two tiny and unbelievably cute children were fantastic and they just made me want to cry for the entire film -- which I pretty much did, and honestly I'm not much of a crier at films.
The visual effects for the tsunami were spectacular and I have no idea how they made it look so real. I completely felt some element of fear for the family as you saw trees falling, with the previous knowledge of a wave coming that the family didn't know about, and it was almost quite humbling to know that most of us will never experience fear like that. Knowing that, you would immediately think that this film could never work, only appearing shallow and unable to convey the feelings of the event through to the audience who would be able to feel little empathy. But the exact opposite happens, and I still have no idea how they managed to do this. It's just incredible.
So, in the end, although this film is incredibly traumatic and you will likely sob your way through it, I couldn't recommend it more and it really makes you realise just how lucky we are to live in our country of boring weather, with little more than grey clouds and rain to complain about. This is such a poignant film that I really think everyone should watch at some point in their lives, and one of the bests of the year.