Starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, based on true events, The Impossible is a poignant and ultimately tragic story about a British family and the devastation they face when on holiday in Thailand in 2004. As anyone who remembers the events of 2004 will know, that year saw the Indian Ocean tsunami, a natural catastrophe which led to the deaths of some 277, 898 people and destroyed some families permanently. In what can only be viewed as bittersweet, the Bennett family survive but the psychological and emotional traumas they face are likely to scar them forever.
Receiving largely positive reviews, the film begins with a peaceful aerial shot of the Indian Ocean, a beautiful body of water serene, gentle and, above all, calm. This is painfully ironic given that we know what is going to happen within a short span of time.
We meet the Bennett family before long, who are travelling to Khao Lak, Thailand, for a family holiday over Christmas. The family are clearly close, with both parents tucking their children in at night.
The film then moves forward to an afternoon scene at the pool, before disaster hits. Many readers will recognise this scene from the trailer – the awesome devastation of the tsunami as it rapidly unfolds and devours all in its sight, including the hotel where the family are staying.
The sunlight and peace of the pool are obliterated in seconds, as underwater scenes take over. Maria Bennett’s sufferings are particularly distressing; she seems to be drowning due to the colossal power of the waves overwhelming her.
However, Maria survives, only to discover the destruction caused by the brutality of nature. She manages to find her eldest son, Lucas, but they are both badly hurt. Those who don’t like blood are advised not to watch this, for Maria’s leg injury is horrific, to say the least. The gasps of shock and murmurs of horror I heard frequently in the cinema pay tribute to this.
These scenes are particularly harrowing, with trees overturned and floating in the water, corpses neglected, and the painful realisation on the part of both Maria and Lucas that they have been separated from the rest of their family. In their quest to be reunited with their family members, Maria and Lucas also save a young boy, Daniel, conveying poignantly a sense of humanity in the film despite so much suffering.
Both are found by locals and treated in hospital, where Lucas meets other patients and tries to help find their lost relatives and friends while his mother is immobilised. Maria undergoes surgery, but not before further trauma caused by hospital staff believing that she is dead and relocating her, much to Lucas’ distress.
The emotional scenes in this film make it highly watchable and especially poignant. The film closes with another image of the ocean, strangely still and yet destructive in its brutality, and Maria’s tears extending this water imagery.
The Impossible is a beautifully directed film, exploring both the destructive nature of nature and the kindness of humanity. All the actors are to be commended for their strong performances, while the film has been recognised to be accurate in its portrayal of the 2004 tsunami and its brutal aftermath. While despairing, yet often uplifting, this is a must-see film.
Conor Byrne, Senior Screen Reporter
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