The Impossible

Movie Name: The Impossible
Year of Release: 2012

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona

Stars: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast, Marta Etura, Sonke Mohring, Geraldine Chaplin

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Juan Antonio Bayona's "The Impossible" follows the dramatic story of a family who gets caught up in the aftermath of the horrible destruction caused by the tsunami that hit the Asian shores in December of 2004. The film introduces us to a British family, consisting of Maria and Henry, and their three young children, Lucas, Thomas and Simon. The family is in Thailand enjoying their Christmas vacation, when a tidal wave of unprecedented violence comes through the beaches and destroys everything in it's path. Maria and Lucas get separated from Henry, Thomas and Simon. Maria is seriously hurt, and thanks to Lucas they manage to slowly make their way to safety. They eventually get found out by some local inhabitants and get sent to a hospital where thousands of other people also affected by the violent waters are fighting for their lives.
Juan Antonio Bayona's builds a film that is both riveting and exciting, pulsating with life and feeling. This is a film that accomplishes to be simultaneously technically flawless - the special effects that recreate the impact of the waves are nothing short of fantastic - and the way the characters are given time to really immerse the viewer into the dynamics of that family. The film also benefits from fantastic actors, namely Naomi Watts who again creates more than just a flat character - she embodies a woman who is grounded and is trying to protect her child and family above everything. Ewan McGregor and the young Tom Holland are equally fantastic, creating a very realistic sense of family unity. This a film to see and discover. One of the good surprises of 2012.