Emotional, heartbreaking and terrifyingly real.

Rating: 8/10 (28 October 2013)

Based on a true story, The Impossible is an adaptation of what a family of five had to endure during one of the most devastating natural disasters to occur in our time. Maria (Naomi Watts), Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their three sons take a trip to Thailand for the festive holidays. Following Christmas day the family spend time at the hotel swimming pool not expecting what's to come. Once the tsunami hits they are split in half not knowing if they have all survived. Only hope and the will to live is what pushes them to believe that somehow they will find each other.
I will say straight away that this film doesn't fail to pack a punch emotionally. It's intentionally powerful and so it should be for such an amazing story. it's nothing short of a miracle what the family had accomplished after such a catastrophic event and it's a story that needs to be told. There are a lot of encouraging and powerful themes explored in this film which can drive anyone to inspiration. It shows how heroes can come in any shape and sizes and all it can take is a simple touch to say everything is going to be fine to heighten someone's spirits.
This film for me holds two of the most powerful scenes of 2012. The opening scenes where the tsunami hits the hotel is both terrifying and realistic that your heart can't stop pounding. I felt emotions stronger than any other film that I've watched before, there was a genuine fear and realisation about how vulnerable and alone you are in such a disaster. Recreating that event to the level of realism they had is pretty amazing, and it's hard not to appreciate that scene. The second scene was with Ewan McGregor where he calls his father-in-law to tell him their situation. I've not seen a moment in a film as intense as that this year, the amount of emotion he puts into it is infectious and if you don't feel just a little emotional then you are obviously too manly for this film.
Performances from everyone needed to be intense and inevitably they were with such an awesome cast. I've missed seeing Ewan Mcgregor on the big screen, and he really proves how much of a talent he is. Props also going to the three kids, couldn't have been easy parts to play but they got through it convincingly. Lastly Naomi Watts easily steals the show with such a devastating performance, capturing probably every emotion you could get in such a situation, and at the age of 44 it's amazing how young she looks.
The only negative I could find with this film is that it didn't seem to explore the people who weren't so fortunate to find their families, there was a lack of tribute to the unlucky individuals. I can easily see where people could get easily offended, especially if they were victims of the tsunami or a similar disaster. Admittedly it could have really done with it towards the end because it became quite evident that they lost things to film and it ultimately played out the sentimental tone a bit too long. All in all, an amazing story told well through the media of film.