An Unforgettable, Draining but Uplifting Cinematic Experience!

Rating: 7/10 (10 January 2013)

It's an unforgettable, draining but uplifting cinematic experience. Juan Antonio Bayona makes a sensational debut into English movies, after his gripping Spanish horror masterpiece 'El Orfanato'. This time, he creates horror of a different variety. He terrifically recreates the mayhem of the environmental catastrophe named Tsunami, through the eyes of one family. If people are expecting to see the complete devastation and tragedy surrounding the disaster, they'll be disappointed. As the movie's tagline says, 'This is one family's true story of survival'.
The haunting background score, the remarkable camera-work and the spectacular special effects almost throws us into the middle of all the chaos. But, it is the stunning acting that carries the movie forward, and helps us understand the gravity of the situation. Naomi Watts and the young star, Tom Holland, are the stars of the movie. Watts gives one of the finest performances of her career. But Holland, being so young, shows such maturity with his stunning range of emotions. Their characters, and their amazing relationship, are quite poignantly portrayed. The characters could have been developed and explored a little more, before the Tsunami hit, so that their story could have been more effective. But other than that, I've got no complains.
The climactic reunion scene outside the hospital is a well-acted and amazingly shot scene; it was undeniably moving.
It's a heroic tale of endurance, hope and survival. Pray that this movie is the closest you, or anyone close to you, get(s) to a disaster.