Unflinching and inspiring tale...

Rating: 8/10 (29 May 2013)

The Impossible is a film which will invariably cause conflict and backlash among critics and perhaps even victims of the event upon which this film is based. It is virtually impossible to avoid criticism when you are making a film which dramatizes a tragic disaster in human history – that event being the 2004 tsunami which struck Thailand on Boxing Day and claimed the lives of over 200,000 people.
In this film we follow the lives of the Bennett family, a perfectly normal family who were unprepared for the tragedy of the event and its repercussions. This is one stumbling block the film has faced in its critique, with many questioning the narrative approach. Why follow one family (who are English and don't have to live with the long-term repercussions that a local Thai family would have to deal with) when you can look at many with a wider range of perspectives? This is a valid question, however I have to disagree with those who take this stance. I believe that by concentrating on one family we are forced to empathize with the emotional difficulties that they face. The unflinching depth to which the audience is shown this one family's struggle is where the backbone of this film lies and heightens its sense of claustrophobia making the film much more realistic and emotionally resonant.
If you would like to continue reading my thoughts on this film then go here... (filmrambler.blogspot.co.uk)