David Coleman finds the relative lack of sentimentality in The Impossible refreshing.
The disaster movie is a difficult one to get right. Several have tried to capture the sheer scale of their chosen disasters, but this comes at the expense of any genuine impact. By failing to establish any human struggle the centre of the story, these movies sacrifice their emotional connection with the audience and become mere sensationalism.
The Impossible, the second film by Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona, is not one of these movies. Bayona debuted in 2007 with creepy horror classic The Orphanage, and there are many similarities between the two. Both bring emotional care to genres that typically resort to exploitation, delivering heartfelt stories about clinging to the impossible when all hope seems lost. The Impossible tackles this theme on a far greater scope than The Orphanage, yet Bayona is no less in control.The story revolves around Henry and Maria Bennett (Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts) and their sons Lucas, Simon and Thomas, who have the misfortune of holidaying in Thailand and falling victim to the 2004 tsunami. All survive, but Lucas (Tom Holland) is isolated and taking care of his seriously injured mother, while Henry and the other two sons struggle to find them. Based on the remarkable true story of the Spanish Belon family, the family's nationality here is changed to British, presumably to broaden the commercial appeal. This decision is a questionable one when considering how many lives were lost, but cast and crew manage to sidestep any potential problems with a gripping and sincere story of hope and survival.Much of this can be credited to the efforts of the cast. Watts delivers the performance of her career, while McGregor is at his most endearing. Giving both stars a run for their money is sixteen year old Tom Holland as oldest son Lucas, making a strong case for best newcomer in the upcoming awards season. Equal parts scared and brave, Lucas comes into his own when called upon to provide small acts of heroism for other families while watching over his increasingly weak mother. Think Spielberg, only without the cloying sentimentality or annoying comic relief.The ten minute tsunami sequence is as good as anything I’ve seen in the last year at the movies. Rather than building up with a predicable seaside fiasco, Bayona stays further inland with the family. Beginning with a nerve shredding rumble seconds before all hell breaks loose. The camera stays with Maria and Lucas as they’re swept up, battered senseless by the waves and never more than a few moments from death. The decision to film using practical effects rather than CGI is a wise one, adding a sense of immediacy to the whole affair so the audience is truly feels the terror of the characters on screen.The final scenes in which the family are reunited can’t help but feel a bit movie-ish, but it’s to Bayona’s credit that he doesn’t overdo it. Where Spielberg would have gone into touchy-feely overdrive, Bayona judges it perfectly. The reunion had some people in the cinema weeping with the sheer emotional power, while rows of body bags, horrifying flashbacks and overhead shots of the devastation remind us that, in the midst of such tragedy, closure doesn’t come so easily - if at all.
