Review of The Impossible (2012) by Alex M — 06 May 2014

I can't remember the last time a movie made me squirm this much. I don't know about anybody else, but watching stuff getting pulled out of someone's mouth with blood pouring out is not cool.

Otherwise, this was a really, really great movie. From the very beginning, Thailand looks beautiful - the perfect vacation spot, with beautiful starry nights and sunny days. When the tsunami hits and all hell breaks loose, the movie still looks beautiful even in all its brokenness.

Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor are excellent here as the two parents desperate to keep their family safe, which makes the end result all the more satisfying. Holland is also a standout. Yet what really stuck with me was the message of hope that was conveyed, that no matter what, we must keep fighting - no matter the situation.

There were so many small, beautiful moments in the film that drove this point home, and it made the film seem so much less paper thin than it could have been. With the dramatic score almost unceasingly moving in the background for the film's length and the constant tragedy and the excellent performances, this is a film that is nearly impossible to forget, pun intended.