Spectacular as well dramatic story based on facts and masterfully directed by Juan Antonio Bayona

Rating: 8/10 (25 November 2013)

In 2004 , a devastating tsunami hit southeast Asia , this is one family's true story of survival . The story of a tourist family (the family on which this story is based upon were present during the whole shooting process) in Thailand , they are an ordinary family called Maria (Naomi Watts), Henry (Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts previously had an on-screen relationship in ¨Stay¨, 2005) and their three kids travel to Thailand to spend Christmas . Then they are caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami . It follows Maria and her son Lucas (Tom Holland) , not knowing where is the father and if two younger sons are dead or alive . However , nothing is more powerful than the human spirit. Who will survive ?
It's a grade A picture , a gem , absorbing , riveting , highly moving , incredibly tense . This is a psychological/survival/thrilling drama in which a family enjoying their holiday become involved into a terrible tragedy . It is a smart and sensitive thriller filled with intense drama , thrills , emotion , tear-jerker and pretty entertaining though overlong . This nail-biter is a tightly-knit drama centered on the relentless survival-fight , as it follows the seriously wounded Maria/Naomi Watts and her eldest son Lucas/Tom Holland , as they struggle to safety . The picture makes up for it with an evolving atmosphere of anxiety and fear . Everything in Juan Antonio Bayona 's impressive film looks so real that you might think it's a high resolution videotape of a tsunami . The crew filmed partially on location at the actual resort, since rebuilt, where the Belon family was vacationing when the tsunami hit ; for the tsunami destruction scenes, a scaled model of the resort was used . Interesting screenplay by Sergio G. Sánchez from a story by María Belón and being based upon on true events , as the real family that the main characters are based on are in fact Spanish but living in Japan at the time of the Tsunami and many of the extras are actual survivors of the tsunami . Lavishly produced by Enrique López Lavigne , Jaime Ortiz de Artiñano , Javier Ugarte and Belen Atienza, in fact , the producers of the film heard an interview on Spanish radio where the family told their story of surviving the Tsunami and decided to make a film based on it. Top-notch acting by Naomi Watts , for the underwater scenes, Naomi was strapped in a rotating chair , while filming, Watts couldn't hold her breath any longer and she gave the 'stop' sign. Instead of stopping, the chair started spinning the other way around . Later it was revealed that it was a technical error and Watts stated the she felt very scared and hated the chair for that reason. There is the urgent hand-held camera-work, a trademark refined and perfected by cameraman Oscar Faura , which lends an air of pseudo-documentary authenticity to carefully staged reconstructions, putting us right there in the huddle of the action . Furthermore , an emotive as well as enjoyable musical score by Fernando Velazquez .
The motion picture was compellingly directed by Juan Antonio Bayona who proved his usual aesthetics and nail-biting filmmaking as well as he formerly made in ¨the orphanage¨ . In this excellent film of 2013 , Bayona has directed 1 actress to an Academy Award-nominated performance: Naomi Watts (Best Actress, Lo impossible or the impossible (2012). Rating : Above average , a magnificent film . Essential and indispensable seeing . The picture will appeal to Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor fans .