The Impossible (2012) – 8/10 – An exceptional recreation of the 2004 Tsunami
THE IMPOSSIBLE is a disaster drama movie about the destructive 2004 tsunami that struck Southeast Asia, killing over 227,000 people. A 9.1 magnitude earthquake near Sumatra, Indonesia, triggered a massive wave later called the ‘Boxing Day Tsunami’ and devastated populated areas of Asia. It struck fourteen countries and reached a height of approximately 51 meters (167ft). Lack of warning systems in countless impoverished regions resulted in entire villages being wiped out within minutes from the waves that traveled at 500 km/h (310 mph). This film is a true story based on one such family stranded by it during a Christmas holiday in Thailand.
The Bennett family flies to Thailand for the holidays. They include Maria (Naomi Watts), Henry (Ewan McGregor), and their three sons: the eldest, Lucas (Tom Holland), Thomas (Samuel Joslin), and the youngest, Simon (Oaklee Pendergast). They live in Japan, where Henry works for a multinational corporation, and Maria is a doctor. Upon reaching Thailand, they learn the resort has upgraded their top-floor room to a coastal villa. A joyful holiday in paradise turns into a nightmare.
The directing, acting, photography, well-crafted script, and editing place you in the center of the devastation. The performances were amazing by everyone, including the side cast. Naomi Watts received an Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. It was a tough year going up against Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) and Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), both also had amazing performances. I have no complaints about the acting, even the child actors, considering their emotional roles. I don’t know how they pulled the brilliant camera shots, allowing you to grasp their horrifying condition. They used just enough special effects when necessary. Recreating an event of this magnitude—and doing it justice—must’ve been a major challenge for the writers and directors. It would, of course, be impossible to depict the full scope of the tsunami. Instead of covering everything, they concentrated on one family. It made it a more meaningful experience to focus intimately on a single family rather than being overwhelmed. Overall, they did an exceptional job of making this moving film.
Few interesting tidbits from IMDb trivia. The actual family was the Belóns from Spain, who were living in Japan. They attended the movie’s premiere, and the real Maria felt it was an authentic portrayal. Filmmakers partially shot the movie at the original resort where the story took place, using many local tsunami survivors as extras. It took the filming crew a year to build the set to recreate the ten-minute sequence showing the immense wave.
Would I recommend this? Yes, but it’s not an easy watch. From the opening scene, you know what is coming. The film opens with a jet’s sound, echoing how eyewitnesses describe the sound of a rushing tsunami. I can imagine what flashes through one’s mind in those last seconds. Especially with no warning systems, you are like a deer blinded by an oncoming vehicle’s headlights. You can only watch the catastrophe approach. This film masterfully portrays the raw pain and immense dread many families underwent in the aftermath of the catastrophic wave. It’s a story of family love, hope during the hopeless, and gritty tenacity. My rating is 8/10.
*Any trivia facts were obtained from IMDB’s trivia page and plot/basic history/name information from Wiki
