It Only Takes a Moment: Review of The Impossible

The Impossible

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona

By Alex Watson

Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing on the day the Boxing Day Tsunami and as we watched the images of the waves that crashed over and claimed over 200,000 lives, our eyes went wide with fear!  Bringing this horrific event to the screen has been one that has involved a lot of time and caution because in this tale there were not many happy endings! But this year Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona brings us a truly remarkable true story of a family whose complete love for each other would help them reunite in the midst of a life shattering moment! But the journey ahead is no easy one in The Impossible.

The Bennett family including Henry (Ewan McGregor) and Maria (Naomi Watts) arrive in Thailand for Christmas and look forward to having a fun time in the sun. For the first couple of days the place is like a perfect paradise. But on Boxing Day, a giant Tsunami wave arrives destroying everything in its path! The family is soon separated from each other and things are looking bleak! But their love and determination to be re-united will give them the strength to fight on!

The Impossible will no doubt be one of 2013 most chest tightening and emotional experiences as we view this families struggle. Although the family’s identity is switched across from being Spanish to English, this fact means little as it is a story that is both touching and immensely uplifting. This being the first film to deal directly with the disaster is directed with great sensitivity by Bayona who goes to great lengths to fully emphasise the horrors that were involved.

When the wave hits, it is one of the most awe inspiring and shocking scenes you will ever witness! Its build up brings back memories of Jurassic Park’s T-Rex scene as we feel the danger coming through vibrations! As it appears over the palm trees you can tell this will be one moment that will scar this family forever!

But the after scenes of seeing an island of bliss reduced to flat land of destruction that hit home the most, and this leaves the door open to some truly eye opening moments the follow it where we view overcrowded hospitals where mortally wounded individuals put their own health aside in squalid conditions to find the ones they love. There is one touching scene in The Impossible where the eldest Lucas (Tom Holland) struggles in vain to unite random strangers with their young ones- but eventually manages to find the son of a Swedish man he encountered earlier, and we watch the two un-familiars embrace a tear will fall.

At the hub of The Impossible we are given a family story that has massive heart and soul and throughout as we watch them struggle for own survival we hope they will find each other. The story is split in equal factions as Maria lies critically injured in hospital while Henry in the midst of care for his two youngest sons searches in vain throughout various shelters to find the woman he loves before it is too late. This year we will struggle to find a more poignant journey on the big screen!

Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor are both equally fantastic as the mother and father of the Bennett family, McGregor’s fierce resolve as Henry makes him stand out on screen and he delivers what is probably his greatest and most affecting performance of his career. Naomi Watts is also on great form as Maria, her scenes lying stricken in hospital are some the most engaging of the film as she strives to stay alive to her family again- for this Watts has thoroughly earned her Best Actress nomination at the Oscars.

There is also a stunning find in 16 year old Tom Holland as their eldest son Lucas who has to grow up fast in the midst of heartbreak to find his father is one of The Impossible’s most winning elements because he goes from being sarcastic teen to overcoming his fears and becoming the un-official head of the family and learns just how much he loves them.

It might not be an easy watch, but The Impossible is still a film worth seeing purely for the strength of story and power of film making. Bayona is true talent to look out for and brings us one of the most stunning and overwhelming films of 2013 so far, make sure to bring plenty of Kleenex packs though, because you may well need them by the end!

Picking up the Pieces: Review of Rust & Bone

Rust & Bone

Director: Jacques Audiard

By Alex Watson

So far Jacques Audiard’s new film, Rust & Bone has been gaining significant critical acclaim as we venture towards Oscar season. A win for Best Film at the London Film Festival is further evidence of just what hot property the French director is since his last piece, the BAFTA winning, A Prophet. His new film is a life away from brutal razor scene from his previous effort and will show us that love is a mighty power and who the most horrific circumstances can bring us together. But will this live up to the hype?

Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) is a directionless man who has recently moved from Belgium to the South of France with his son Sam to start a new life. He is taken in by his sister Anna and obtains a job as a bouncer in a nightclub. One night he comes across beautiful Stephanie (Marion Cotillard), who is a killer whale trainer when he rescues her from a fight and there is a mutual attraction between them. However when a tragic accident occurs, the two will be brought closer together.

Rust & Bone packs a big emotional punch and all the way through our hearts are pulled up and down as the complex romance between Stephanie and Ali plays out. They make an odd couple that is for sure, Ali is a man who is seems lost in life and because of this at first he is a lousy father to his son and scrounges off his sister, whereas Stephanie is confident lady with a job at Marineland which she loves.

Their first meeting is interesting as after rescuing her, Ali openly tells her that she is dressed like a whore and Stephanie likewise seems to wince at the man’s presence. But there is a hint in the air that the two like each other and Stephanie takes his number when he leaves it.  When she has her accident, it is Ali that Stephanie leans on for support and he gives it without reservation and together they begin to fix each other.

Refreshingly for this type of drama, Jacques Audiard steers free of sentiment and  thankfully avoids any potentially cringe worthy moments Rust & Bone could have developed and because this he delivers us one of the most heartfelt movies of the year.

When the accident happens, it provides the shock point of the movie! But it’s the scenes which show Stephanie recovering from her accident that are the most emotionally raw in the film, because we see her stripped down to something else entirely and in her own way has cut herself off from everything. Some of us will identify with this and our heart will similarly sink as a result! Her longing to return to her old life is shown in one beautifully shot take as Stephanie reconnects with one of her killer whales- through the heartfelt gestures she signals it says more than any words could.

The film is anchored by two superb performances, led by Marion Cotillard as Stephanie in an emotionally charged role! Through Cotillard’s superb humane quality she keeps this woman in our hearts throughout the movie as she learns to live again in the wake of tragedy. This performance is one of the year’s best and hopefully will see the lovely Marion again Oscar nominated!

Belgian Matthias Schoenaerts is similarly fantastic as Ali, a man filled with masculinity who seems frequently at odds with himself. But rather play the typical idiot with a heart role, Schoenaerts rises above this and gives a fascinating example of a tortured man trying to do the right thing but frequently screwing up. Schoenaerts is a promising talent and no doubt this role will bring him to further attention!

Jacques Audiard has brought us a film to remember in Rust & Bone and although we will leave the cinema with a heavy heart afterwards, it will raise a small smile when we think back to the obstacles Cottilard and Schoenaerts have faced throughout it! For a reminder of how love can be found even in our darkest hour, then please go and see this. We can only hope there is no corny US remake of this any time soon!

Hearts On Fire: Review of Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina

Director: Joe Wright

By Alex Watson

Is Joe Wright the new generation of British film makers? Many seem to think so and based on his recent stunning efforts Atonement and Hanna the argument is solid. His real strength is his ability to produce films that are not only beautifully shot, but have stories that capture our hearts. So now we turn to his most ambitious movie yet, an adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s 864 page novel Anna Karenina. Will this effort be vintage Wright? Or will one of literatures most doomed romance be his un-doing?

Set in Imperial Russia in 1874, Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) is involved in a passionless yet content marriage to state official Alexei Karenin (Jude Law). Then into her world comes dashing Calvary officer Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and very soon the two begin an affair which sends shockwaves through polite society. Although Anna is bound to her husband by god, she cannot deny true happiness with her lover.

So far this is Wright most accomplished picture and it is interesting that rather than showing Tolstoy’s novel straight, he has chosen to keep the bulk of the action to within an old Russian theatre and only occasionally strays into the outside world. This paves the way for some stunning set pieces, such as civil servants stamping papers in unison, a thrilling horse race and a truly beautiful ballroom scene where as Anna and Vronsky seductively dance- eyeballs widen all around! This restriction adds to the impressive feel of Anna Karenina and ensures that it will not be remembered as just another costume drama.

Whether or not you have read Tolstoy’s novel is irrelevant and Joe Wright isn’t setting out to simply to please the die-hard fans. Delivering the story page by page, would have been a task impossible even for him! So instead he simply wants to show the audiences a love story for the ages, however this area where his film falls down slightly. The central romance between Vronsky and Anna doesn’t quite grab at the heart like it should do and for large periods we are just counting the seconds for something wrong to emerge.

The real romance that gives a flutter to our hearts in the secondary romance between Levin (Domhnall Gleeson) and Kitty (Alicia Vikander), a pair from very different sides of society. After a painful refusal proposal by Kitty in the early stages, things feel over for the pair. But after a cruel heart break Kitty soon realizes where her heart lies. Cue a very tender scene where the pair spell out their love to each other using lettered blocks.

Wright’s muse Keira Knightley gives an impressive central performance as Anna and engages us throughout the film. She also gives Anna a layer of emotional complexion which gives an edge to her performance. Jude Law is quietly brilliant as Anna’s dull statesman husband, Karenin, this character is so often the forgotten man in this kind of drama. But in the hands of Law he gives him a haunted quality and his presence sticks to Anna throughout!

Aaron Taylor-Johnson looks the part of Vronsky and at first excels, but as the pieces wears on his involvement grows less interesting and we in fact yearn for Anna to leave him! Excellent support is given by Domnhall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander and the young lovers Levin and Kitty.

But it’s Joe Wright who is the real star of the film, with his stunning style he gives us many memorable images over the course of Anna Karenina and brings Imperial Russia truly to life. The move to shoot within the confines of a theatre may have been a bold one, but it has been a gamble worth taking. There is no doubt now that this man is the leading director in Britain, where it will take him next is anyone’s guess. I hope you are as excited as me!