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“The Impossible” is this year’s harrowing exploration of unparalleled love, vitality and relentlessness in the face of one of the world’s most destructive natural disasters; it is a stunning portrayal of survival and the vigor of family bonds. Though the film itself was not nominated for an Academy Award, it is receiving immense “Oscar-buzz” because of main character Naomi Watts’ Best Actress nomination.
The movie, written by Sergio G. S’ÛÎnchez and directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, is an adaptation of the real life story of the survival and reunion of the Bel’ÛÎ_n family after the Indian Ocean Tsunami that occurred the day after Christmas in 2004. What begins as a beautiful vacation ends in unimaginable struggle and suffering as the family fights to stay alive and to find one another in the midst of utter turmoil and heartbreak.
Naomi Watts takes on the role of vigorous and incandescent mother Maria. She is separated from her husband and two of her sons, though remains with her son Lucas by her side when they manage to find each other after the violent waves subside. Their struggle to survive is intensified by a severe leg wound that she suffers while trying to emerge from beneath the tsunami when it first hits.
It is apparent where Watts’ Best Actress nomination stems from. Her role necessitates transitions from the proudest mother to the most pained creature reduced to an animalistic level. Many gruesome scenes are hard to watch, though Watts exhibits a grotesque kind of grace. To shy away from the gritty material at hand would be doing a disservice to the magnitude and tragedy of the Dec. 26 storm. Watts handles it with committed dignity that breathes life into the film and drives it forward.
Ewan McGregor portrays father Henry who surfaces with his two sons, Thomas and Simon, near the resort in which the family was vacationing. Though he has not received as much praise as Watts for his performance, it evokes an incredible level of both anguish and triumph. While his struggle for survival is ultimately not as physically harrowing as that of his wife, his fatherly love is overwhelming – it binds the movie emotionally and facilitates incredible sentiment throughout it. He provides warmth and light in a film that is saturated with some of the darkest moments.
Young actors Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pendergast portray Lucas, Thomas and Simon, the children of Maria and Henry. Their youthful strength and sense of hope create a stark contrast when coupled with the dark background that the tsunami cultivates within the film. Though young, the three boys share an unequivocal bond that drives the family back together. Their spirit was breathtaking and their performances were all a joy to experience.
“The Impossible” provides a tumultuous ride, though it never leaves its audience behind. At times it feels as if you may drown in the travesty that overcomes its characters, but this desperation is then balanced with striking instances of the goodness that lies within each and every individual. Its sentiment never comes close to bordering on cheesy; it is touching on the deepest level. The film’s display of human kindness that presents itself in the wake of tragedy is awe-inspiring.
While it is difficult and risky to tackle an adaptation of such a large-scale national horror, “The Impossible” does it well. It is, at times, inevitably romanticized in the typical Hollywood way, though it lovingly dissects the human condition and shows its viewer what it means to endure hardship in the face of all odds. The film teaches us that the bonds that exist within a family lie far deeper than we could have ever imagined and the resilience of the human spirit spans farther than we could have ever hoped.