The Impossible (2013) Review by Shivom Oza – Watchable, Not ‘Moving’ Enough!

2.5/5 Stars

‘The Impossible’ is an English-language Spanish film, based on the real-life account of Maria and Henry Belon and their children, who were separated and ravaged by the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami in ’04.  

The film has its ‘touchy, tear-jerker’ moments, but, overall, it fails to make an impact. The film is watchable, but it won’t stay with you. Credit to the makers for touching upon the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, a disaster that has not been captured on celluloid as yet!

Maria Belon (Naomi Watts), her husband Henry Belon (Ewan McGregor) and their kids Lucas, Thomas and Simon, are visiting Thailand for their Christmas vacation. The family plans to spend a few days at a picturesque tropical paradise resort. However, their holiday is cut short on the morning of December 26, 2004, by the tsunami. The family, while managing to stay alive, has been separated. While the eldest son Lucas is stranded with his severely-injured mother, Henry is lying unconscious in the middle of nowhere. The younger two children are tucked away in a safe location. How the separated family reunites among this chaotic atmosphere forms the crux of the film.

The film, directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sánchez (both of whom worked on the critically-acclaimed ‘The Orphanage’), manages to move you at several points. Whether it is the occurring of the tsunami, the washing away of hundreds of dead bodies, destruction of life and property, the sight of the vicious injuries and amputated bodies or the grief of the affected, the film manages to touch up on each of the mishaps that occur during any natural disaster of that magnitude. And these instances, backed with gut-wrenching visuals and dramatic background music, do move you a bit as well. However, in entirety, this two-hour-long film does not, and dare one say it, will not stay with the viewer. It keeps swaying between the Belon family’s misfortunes and the overall impact of the tsunami on all the victims, hence diluting the emotional impact. There are a couple of scenes towards the end, when the affected finally get some sort of closure, either through a reunion or an acceptance of reality, which are touching and may leave you a bit overwhelmed. However, as a real-life ‘disaster’ film, the writers could have done much more with the screenplay.

Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor deliver fine performances; however they did not click as husband and wife. The three kids, Lucas (Tom Holland), Thomas (Samuel Joslin) and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast), are absolutely terrific. Tom Holland, in particular, who plays the eldest son, Lucas, gives an outstanding performance. Essentially, every member of the family had to portray themselves as grief-struck, panicky and devastated, and Tom manages to bring out all those emotions with utmost ease.

Watchable, but not ‘moving’ enough!

Shivom Oza

Blancanieves (2012) Review by Shivom Oza - Not A Patch On 'The Artist'

3/5 Stars

A black-and-white, silent film, from Spain, ‘Blancanieves’ is based on the Snow White and Seven Dwarfs fairy tale. The film was screened at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival as the closing film.

Although the screenplay and the performances move you, the film in totality is not a patch on 2011's ‘The Artist’. No character in the film has been properly established. The story hurries on a bit too much. However, by-and-large, it's a nice film. Just not a 'memorable' one!

Celebrated matador Antonio Villalta (Daniel Gimenez Cacho) gets injured during one of the bull fights, an accident which leaves him paralyzed. His pregnant wife Carmen (Macarena Garcia) goes into premature labour and dies after giving birth. Antonio, who receives a double blow of the handicap and the loss of his wife, becomes bitter towards his new-born daughter and rejects her. He ends up getting married to the nurse who looked after him (she is after his money in reality). However, things take a bitter turn for everyone concerned except the nurse. The daughter, who is christened Carmencita, lives with her grandmother, in deprivation of the love of her father. The father, meanwhile, has been living in a disparate condition at the hands of the 'then compassionate, now conniving' nurse Encarna (Maribel Verdú). Things worsen once Carmencita's grandmother dies and the little girl is forced to live by Encarna's rules. Carmencita, however, eventually ends up meeting her father, who is confined to his wheelchair, and makes up for all the fun that she missed during the childhood days. She also picks up a few matador tricks from her father. A few years pass by and Encarna decides that it is time to do away with Antonio. After her father dies, a murder attempt takes place on Carmencita as well. Although she survives, her memory does not. And then, she meets the SEVEN BULLFIGHTING DWARFS!

The performances are first-rate. The characters could have been better established though. The screenplay is fine for most parts of the film, but at times it does seem hurried. There is no prominent 'threat' as such in the film. Encarna is the major antagonist but even she gets side-lined during the latter half of the film. The film does lose some of its purpose towards the end. There is no clear justification given as to how Carmencita becomes such a fine matador. There is also no clear reasoning given as to why, post her success as a bullfighter, does she not take revenge over Encarna. There are a lot of unanswered questions in the film. 

While a film like this does not need to be logically flawless, these discrepancies do take some sheen off it. However, the Snow White fairy tale has been adapted in a fine manner. The 'black-and-white and silent' aspect has been handled wonderfully. There is no blatant 'me-too-The Artist attempt here. Director Pablo Berger has made a fine film.

Not a memorable film, but not a deplorable one either. It's a fine attempt. Not a must-watch.

Shivom Oza