Magnifying emotions
5 Jan 2013 12:00 AM GMT
Naomi Watts brings tears to our eyes. Evan McGregor plays the distraught head of the family in search of his loved ones to the T. The kids – played by Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pendergast – have made the characters real. The eyes of most actors convey fear as you would expect from those who have faced a disaster so ruthless as the 2004 Tsunami. And the recreated Tsunami waves wreak havoc so chillingly: every time Watts batters against things, we shudder.
Yet, devoid of the local pain – as the film mostly revolves around the tourists who went to Thailand looking for a piece of heaven but got hell in the bargain – The Impossible looks a little too orchestrated. Perhaps, that is how it happened in real life (the film, which first came out in Spanish, is based on the true story of a family who survived the ordeal). Everything fell into place seamlessly. But trust Hollywood to magnify the emotions and milk melodrama to such an extent that despite the best intentions of the actors, you grow numb after a while. It doesn’t help that towards the end, just as we unwind from the brute force of nature and get ready to witness the family getting back together, we are put through the grind again. Watts tumbles through the waves comes to us as a flashback. Obviously, the director, Juan Antonio Bayona, is unwilling to let go of the chance to recreate a natural disaster so big.
One thing is for sure, watching this film must be a harrowing experience for the survivors. As for the rest, time to thank our stars.
Yet, devoid of the local pain – as the film mostly revolves around the tourists who went to Thailand looking for a piece of heaven but got hell in the bargain – The Impossible looks a little too orchestrated. Perhaps, that is how it happened in real life (the film, which first came out in Spanish, is based on the true story of a family who survived the ordeal). Everything fell into place seamlessly. But trust Hollywood to magnify the emotions and milk melodrama to such an extent that despite the best intentions of the actors, you grow numb after a while. It doesn’t help that towards the end, just as we unwind from the brute force of nature and get ready to witness the family getting back together, we are put through the grind again. Watts tumbles through the waves comes to us as a flashback. Obviously, the director, Juan Antonio Bayona, is unwilling to let go of the chance to recreate a natural disaster so big.
One thing is for sure, watching this film must be a harrowing experience for the survivors. As for the rest, time to thank our stars.
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