Movie Review: "The Impossible" (2012)

"The Impossible" (directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, written by Sergio G. Sánchez and starring Naomi Watts & Ewan McGregor) is an intense, well-made movie based on María Belón's family's harrowing real-life experience during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. This movie depicts events in Thailand.

The Bennet family (Maria played by Watts, Henry played by McGregor, Lucas played by Tom Holland, Thomas played by Samuel Joslin & Simon played by Oakley Pendergrast) are vacationing in Thailand for Christmas in 2004. The day after Christmas, the deadly, infamous tsunami occurred devastating most everything in its path. The Bennets are swept away by the tsunami and are separated from each other after being badly hurt, especially in Maria's case. The family tries to find each other amidst the wreckage & devastation left behind by the tsunami. This movie tells that story of their quest to find each other.

This movie is intense & very emotional. It powerfully depicts this family's search for one another and the emotions that they go through while doing so. The visual effects are amazing, especially the way it portrays how the tsunami engulfs everything and wipes out everything in its path...it's breathtaking, realistic and very frightening. Bayona did an amazing job of directing this movie and capturing the emotions of the characters as well as the devastation & power of the tsunami. It's very well-balanced & portrayed very well. The performances by Watts, McGregor & Holland are outstanding. They do an incredible job of portraying the pain, fear & tension that these people go through. They run through so many emotions in this movie...joy, fright, exhaustion, hope, love & relief. And the actors convince you that they are indeed feeling these emotions. The journey this family takes can be felt by the viewer, not just observed.

I really liked this movie...8.0/10 stars