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The Impossible

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The Impossible

Name: The Impossible
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller, War
Released: 2011
Duration: 1 h 48 min
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Tom Holland (2), Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast

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Drama
History

2011
Juan Antonio Bayona
108 mins
12A

Summary

Drama based on a true story, starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts. The holiday of a lifetime in Thailand turns into a nightmare for a family separated by the deadly 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. With the area a devastated wasteland, the struggle begins to find out who has survived.

IMDB

Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Alan Jones

This visceral and deeply moving true story follows the desperate efforts of a family to survive and reunite in the immediate aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor give astonishingly raw performances as a married couple who, along with their three boys, are caught up in the devastation while on holiday in Thailand. The depiction of the arriving tidal wave and the ravaged landscape it leaves behind is simply terrifying but director JA Bayona doesn't rely on special effects alone to generate the film's power. There are numerous hugely affecting moments - the scenes in which the eldest son (Tom Holland in an early role) helps hospitalised survivors find their loved ones are superbly handled - and, as he did in his debut film The Orphanage, Bayona makes poignant hope his priority. With its excellent performances, unexpectedly thrilling authenticity - it was partly filmed in Thailand and survivors of the tsunami play extras - and epic scope, this wonderfully nuanced film packs a real emotional wallop.

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7.5/10