An emotional tsunami of the heart

Rating: 8/10 (9 March 2014)

There are scenes in The Impossible that could have happened in any situation any of us have experienced. The volcano of bottled up emotions coming out in bubbling tears when finally speaking words of a tragedy is one that I think is most universal. It is this every persons' perspective that works so well in this film about people caught in the wort disaster of our lifetime. Every decision after the initial catastrophe seems so crucial to life and death, yet each is made for logical reasons after fighting the initial instincts. The reward is The Impossible, but the experience is what the film is about. Naomi Watts is quite a powerhouse of an actress when called upon, and Tom Holland, as her eldest son, is phenomenal in his portrayal of a young boy forced into a caretaker role (not what young boys do best) and in roaming about the hospital doing whatever he can for his family and for others. There is also the Thai communities that are shown as caring and giving despite their own horrendous situations, either in the village or feared as they worked non-stop in the hospital. While you want to declare this true family story as lucky and/or valiant, it seems meant to be more of a family amalgam for all of us to see the easily felt message of family and living in the now... who knows what tomorrow may bring.