Not the holiday they'd planned...

Rating: 8/10 (22 November 2013)

There is a word for this film, which is based around the great tsunami which killed so many people in Thailand at the end of 2004, and that would be 'harrowing'. If it's not the sight of graphic injuries infected by dirty water, there's also traumatised people looking for their loved ones, dead bodies being fished out by the score... BUT as a celebration of the human spirit, it is absolutely fantastic. If this story really is as true as they make us believe, the family involved are a true credit to society. Despite being badly hurt, and losing each other in the aftermath of the storm, they stop to help others and try to make a difference in whatever small way they can. More individuals like this in the world please, and less of the Katie Prices and Joey Essexes.
It puts you on a ride early on, as first we are introduced to this perfect couple with three sons celebrating Christmas. only to see them torn apart in a brilliant special sequence which brings home the true horror of the occasion. Then, as we follow their journeys in the chaos of what followed, the true gravity of what has occurred is brought to life through the eyes of thousands of devastated relatives and friends, each desperate for news. It is a gripping account of desolation amidst tragedy, but as long as there is hope you can never give up... And each time somebody is reunited with their child, or has their life saved by an overworked medical staff, it feels like a major triumph. The film puts puts you through an emotional wringer, but my... is it worth it. Brilliant, life affirming stuff. 8/10