Review of Breathe (2017) by Wayne K — 02 Jan 2018

Built upon a sturdy backbone of excellent performances and sensitive direction, Breathe may not completely elevate itself above the prevalent clichés of the genre, but it makes one Hell of an effort. The way our leads are brought together is given so little time that it may as well have been omitted altogether.

But in his directorial debut, Andy Serkis brings to life a fascinating tale of love, dignity and determination. It works so well largely because it never sentimentalises. Dramatic moments are allowed to play out naturally, not with big dramatic closeups or booming scores.

Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield have terrific chemistry, and really sell the films more serious moments. It covers similar ground to The Theory Of Everything, but it always strives to push beyond itself.

There's plenty of locations, gorgeous cinematography and a genuine sense that you're watching a person living and growing with each passing scene, using the tragedy of his life to help those in a similar situation live better than they ever thought they could.

It's a very touching film, a heart-warming experience and a sign that we should expect great things from Mr Serkis in the future.