The Impossible

Rating: 8/10 (7 July 2013)

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was one of the worst natural disasters in history, and like 9/11 it was a subject that had to be tackled in a film at some point, and it was with this film released during the awards season, from director J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage). Based on a true story, British family the Bennets, English wife/mother and physician Maria (Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Naomi Watts), Scottish husband/father Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their sons, Lucas (Tom Holland), Thomas (Samuel Joslin) and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast), are going on a 2004 Christmas holiday to Khao Lak, Thailand. The first couple days are fun as the family enjoy the resort, but on Boxing Day (Decemember 26th) this happy time together is cut short by the oncoming destructive power of an earthquake triggered tsunami, a giant tidal wave sweeps through, separating the family and various other people. Maria is severely injured and desperately searches for her family, she finds Lucas and together they swim to find safety, and along the way the rescue a stranded toddler named Daniel (Johan Sundberg) from wreckage, until they are eventually found by locals and taken to the nearest hospital. Maria encourages Lucas that he should occupy himself by helping other people in the hospital, so he goes to various strangers as they ask him to help them find their relatives, which he notes down, and soon enough he does help a father and son reunite in the facility. There is a mix up when Maria has been taken away by the staff, thought to be dead, so Lucas is taken to a tent with other children without families, but she is found and needs chest surgery to help her injury, she is fragile and waiting to be confirmed fit for surgery on her wounded leg. Meanwhile, Henry has also survived the devastation with Thomas and Simon, the father is also injured, but the children are put on a vehicle with other children supposedly going to a safety point, while he stays behind to search for his wife and other son. Finding out his two sons have not gone to the evacuation point, being taken elsewhere, he is desperate to call home, communication facilities are limited, but tourist Karl (Sönke Möhring) allows him to use his cell to make an emotional call, and he volunteers to come with him and help find his wife and son. Henry and Karl search the various places where people are gathering for safety and support, they stop not far from the hospital where Lucas and Maria are resting, and the vehicle carrying Thomas and Simon also arrives at the site, after some near glimpses and passes the family are eventually emotionally reunited. Maria is deemed fit for surgery and survives her operation, and the following day the whole family, with insurance arrangements, board an ambulance plane heading for Singapore for further treatment on the mother/wife, and she, Henry and Lucas smile at each other in relief and happiness. Also starring Geraldine Chaplin as Old Woman. Watts certainly her award nominations as she is the character who goes through the most trauma, she was in fact chosen by the real survivor María Belón to play the part, being her favourite actress as well, and McGregor is also terrific as the father willing himself to find his family, and young Holland is surprisingly good as well as the eldest son desperate to help his mother and other people. The real life story is really compelling, how the family are drifted apart and eventually come back together, the catastrophe with rushing water and bad injuries is harrowing to watch but makes it all the more authentic, this film with really grip you and has a brilliant emotional charge, it is a fantastic disaster film based on a true story. Very good!