"The Impossible" is a disaster movie, but not your average disaster movie. Most movies of this type- at least the ones I've seen- seem to concentrate on spectacle... making the event as dramatic, eye-catching, and well, disastrous as possible. This is not to say that the tsunami scenes in "The Impossible" aren't well done and effective, but they take a backseat to the personal dramas which are unfolding. I think this was a good choice for a couple of reasons, one being that, with the actual event still fresh in peoples' minds, it would be unseemly to appear to take salacious pleasure in sensationalizing this tragedy. The other reason is that personal stories always interest me more than big special effects and spectacle for its own sake. This film became controversial in a couple of ways. One of these is that the family portrayed as being British in the movie was actually Spanish. Some people thought it wrong to change their nationality. I personally didn't have a problem with this, mainly because the story and its message are not dependent on the family being of any particular race or background. It would have been quite a different thing if, say, the movie was about an event which was caused or affected by the race or nationality of the protagonists- slavery in America, for example, or pogroms against Jews in Russia. But that's not the case; the tsunami was no respecter of persons, and all were equally powerless before its ferocity. It is a human narrative, not a racial one. On a purely practical note, the filmmakers- who are Spanish- no doubt wanted their movie to be as widely seen and successful as possible. Like it or not, that success is more likely if the film has well-known actors in it and, yes, if it's in English. With very few exceptions, subtitled movies struggle to find a wide audience in the west. The second point of contention is the claim that the film "whitewashes" the tragedy by focusing on this one wealthy western family, while showing little of the suffering of the local populations. It is certainly true that the overwhelming amount of devastation and death was experienced by the inhabitants of the affected countries, and while the movie doesn't ignore this, it doesn't focus on it. I would take issue with this if "The Impossible" was a documentary, or if it was intended to give a wide view of the results of the tsunami. What it has, though, is a very narrow focus: it is about the experiences of one family during this natural disaster. If I'm reading a memoir or diary of an historical person, I generally expect it to detail the experiences of that person and the events and people he or she came into contact with or was affected by rather than give a broad overview. Most of us interpret events in our lives by how they affect and change us on a personal level. Also, to return to a previous point, the filmmakers may have been deterred by a sense of delicacy... while they do show dead bodies and badly injured people, they don't dwell on these images, perhaps not wanting to capitalize on the very real human tragedy which was experienced by these populations. They certainly did not intend to trivialize the devastation caused by the tsunami. The tsunami is, of course, the driving force behind the plot as it rampages across the landscape, tearing apart homes and lives, leaving destruction and death in its wake. Even after the monster wave recedes, the water remains the enemy, though the nature of its threat changes. The danger now lies in the filth of the water, choked with dead bodies, raw sewage, and goodness knows what else. It is impossible not to think about this as Naomi Watts' character, Maria, drags her injured leg with its gaping wound through the murky swamp. Speaking of Naomi Watts, she is particularly good in the role of Maria Bennett, portraying both her terrible suffering due to her injuries, and her strength of mind and spirit. A lot of the movie focuses on her and Lucas as they struggle to survive, first in the tsunami, and later at the hospital. Over the course of the movie, we also see a role reversal with Lucas and Maria. Directly following the disaster, it is Maria who upholds and comforts Lucas. As she weakens from her injuries, however, she must lean more and more on her son, and he, of necessity, must become more responsible and strong for her. Lucas is impressively played by Tom Holland, who at the the start of the film is a nice but typically self-absorbed twelve year old. Due to circumstances, and the example of his mother, Lucas finds it in him to give of himself not only to her, but to others around him who need help. Ewan McGregor, as Henry, has less screen time but makes the most of it, giving a convincing performance as a father torn between staying with his two youngest sons, or searching for the missing members of his family. His most memorable scene is the one where he breaks down while on the 'phone trying to explain what has happened. It's truly wrenching. I'm not sure how closely the movie sticks to the actual experiences of Maria Belon and her family... I couldn't find too much about it online. I'm pretty sure, however, that all of the family didn't turn up at the hospital at the same time as the film portrays- that seems like too much of a coincidence. Still, that scene- manipulative as it may be- is very moving, especially when the two younger brothers- Thomas and Simon- hear Lucas' voice and frantically run towards the sound, shouting his name. There are several messages which can be taken away from "The Impossible", one of these being the fragility of life. During the opening scenes of the movie, the Bennetts are doing normal family things: the kids are squabbling, Henry is worried about his job... that sort of thing. Then, at the resort, they and the other guests frolic on the beaches, celebrate Christmas, enjoy their lives- and then it's all over. Just like that. The thing is, it's not necessary to be caught in a natural disaster in some exotic location to experience sudden loss of life. That can happen any day at any time, doing something as mundane as crossing the street. Which is one reason we should never take our lives- or the people we love- for granted. Another truth to be found in "The Impossible" is the importance of reaching out to others in times of great suffering and calamity. This is demonstrated in many ways throughout the film: Maria, determined to rescue Daniel, despite the personal toll it takes on her, or the villagers, having lost practically everything, giving of what little they have left to help Lucas and Maria. There is Karl who, despite his own loss, generously offers Henry some of the few precious minutes he has left on his phone, and Lucas, impulsively embracing the boy who, despite language barriers, he has helped reunite with his father... the joy of that moment offering a brief respite from their grim reality. And it is demonstrated by Maria- weak and in pain, and with most of her family missing- simply reaching out her hand to offer comfort to another woman in similar circumstances. After watching the film, I found myself wondering exactly what was meant by the title, "The Impossible". I tried searching online for the explanation behind it, but was unsuccessful. I suppose it might refer to the seemingly impossible odds of the entire Bennett family surviving the tsunami. I wonder, though, if the writer(s) might have been thinking of the words of Francis of Assisi: "Start by doing what's necessary, then do what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
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