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 The Impossible 

What grade would you give this film?
A 10%  10%  [ 1 ]
B 60%  60%  [ 6 ]
C 10%  10%  [ 1 ]
D 10%  10%  [ 1 ]
F 10%  10%  [ 1 ]
Total votes : 10

 The Impossible 
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loyalfromlondon
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Post The Impossible
The Impossible

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The Impossible (Spanish: Lo Imposible) is a 2012 English-language Spanish disaster drama film directed by Juan Antonio Bayona from a screenplay written by Sergio G. Sánchez, starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. It tells the true story of a Spanish (though portrayed as British) family's experience of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

The Impossible had its world premiere at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, where it received critical acclaim. The film was released on October 11, 2012 in Spain and in North America on December 21, 2012 by Summit Entertainment.

The film marks the second collaboration between Watts and McGregor after appearing together in the 2005 film Stay.

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Mon Dec 24, 2012 2:03 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
This is an amazing production of a solid film. As an audio and visual experience, it is spectacular, placing the audience square in the center of an aquatic natural disaster. In particular, each sonic detail (each crash, each scream, each rush of the wave) is spot-on. I suspect few theatre armrests will remain unclenched during the film's first two acts. As a drama, it is suitable, though I must admit I began to grow tired of the tight, borderline religious focus on this one vacationing British clan and their series of miraculous right turns at the expense of a larger vision of a nation in the aftermath of natural disaster. Strong, though, in my opinion, not Oscar worthy, performances by Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, and bright newcomer Tom Holland help, but just to a certain extent. Despite the fact a claim of truth lingers on the screen for a minute at the start, the film tends to argue with its own intense verisimilitude via grating moments of adorable movie magic.

B-

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Mon Dec 24, 2012 2:05 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
One of the worst films of the year. A visually incredible spectacle that leaves you feeling grimy and dirty for having marveled at the recreation of the tsunami wave and its destruction.

I fucking hated this.

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Mon Dec 24, 2012 2:48 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
A+

LOVED this film. One of my favorites from th year only behind TDKR.

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Mon Dec 31, 2012 2:53 am
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Post Re: The Impossible
A harrowing and emotional tale of survival, The Impossible is VERY unlike the traditional "disaster film." The film's biggest assets, aside from the visceral impact of the tsunami, are the performances by Naomi Watts and young Tom Holland. Watts has to do a lot of her acting with just her facial expressions, and nails the despair and uncertainty facing someone hurt in an extreme situation. Equally as impressive is Holland as her oldest son, who must grow up extremely fast in a short amount of time. The film is not perfect, however, chiefly because of the shift in perspective partway through. After the tsunami, the film spends the immediate aftermath on Watts and Holland's more extreme situation. When the action shifts to Ewan McGregor searching for them, it's not quite as compelling. That's no fault of McGregor, who is quite good in the part. Despite this, it's a solid and exciting film. Watts looks destined for an Oscar nomination but her young co-star would deserve one too. B+


Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:35 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
"One of the worst films of the year. A visually incredible spectacle that leaves you feeling grimy and dirty for having marveled at the recreation of the tsunami wave and its destruction. "

The Tsunami was not over dramatic, the one that that exact location Khao Lak? was quite violent due to the geography of that area. If you watch the video Tsunami on youtube (has 32 million views or so), it shows the Tsunami hitting that area and you see the power and you are amazed and scared by that power.

The film's disaster scene and first half were excellent.

The use of actual water made the disaster look quite scary and real...

The film becomes a bit typical after the 2nd half...
However if your interested in a disaster film some heart, this is a good find.

B+

The Tsunami of 2004 is a disaster that will be always remember for its massive scale of destruction across many countries. Also the fact over 9,000 foriegn citizens were called made the disaster a global one.

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Tue Jan 08, 2013 1:38 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
It is an emotionally manipulative film, for sure. But it also really worked for me. I felt with all the characters and Tom Holland was terrific.

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Tue Jan 08, 2013 1:48 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
What was the budget on the film.

The Tsunami scene was very well done.

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Tue Jan 08, 2013 2:23 pm
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loyalfromlondon
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Post Re: The Impossible
Does nobody care just how racist this film is?

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Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:07 am
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Post Re: The Impossible
trixster wrote:
Does nobody care just how racist this film is?


How so?

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Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:48 am
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Post Re: The Impossible
I'm assuming trixster is referring to either depicting a white family's suffering or changing the actual family's nationalities from Spanish to British in the film.

Neither bother me for various reasons, but I'm guessing that's what he meant. Correct me if I'm wrong, trixster.


Fri Jan 11, 2013 12:14 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
Perhaps he is referring to the film's indifference toward the Thai population, who are only shown serving the entitled white vacationers.

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Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:06 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
trixster wrote:
Does nobody care just how racist this film is?

No, because it is all in your head.

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Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:14 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
Quote:
Does nobody care just how racist this film is?



:funny: :funny: :funny: :funny:


Seriousily, stop with the faux outrage and white guilt...

I watched the film and did not find it racist as it was told from the frame of mind of Europeans.

If a disaster struck, you always long for home.

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Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:29 pm
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loyalfromlondon
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Post Re: The Impossible
David wrote:
Perhaps he is referring to the film's indifference toward the Thai population, who are only shown serving the entitled white vacationers.

That's basically what I meant.

Never mind the invocation of horrifying, real-life imagery for the purposes of cinematic spectacle. The film basically boils down the tsunami to the survival of one white, rich, English family. Who cares if hundreds of thousands of people died? As long as the Caucasians survived, all is right in the world.

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Magic Mike wrote:
zwackerm wrote:
If John Wick 2 even makes 30 million I will eat 1,000 shoes.


Same.


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Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:37 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
trixster wrote:
David wrote:
Perhaps he is referring to the film's indifference toward the Thai population, who are only shown serving the entitled white vacationers.

That's basically what I meant.

Never mind the invocation of horrifying, real-life imagery for the purposes of cinematic spectacle. The film basically boils down the tsunami to the survival of one white, rich, English family. Who cares if hundreds of thousands of people died? As long as the Caucasians survived, all is right in the world.


It's a real family's story, though. Other than changing the ethnicity of the family, apparently the film stays largely true to what they experienced. I don't think the movie ever takes the blase approach to writing off the many, many people killed by the tsunami you point out here. In fact, I think the entire last shot of the film (panning out the plane window) is making the point that this family survived largely intact but the lives of hundreds of thousands of others are forever impacted.


Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:52 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
I see more of what trixster is saying in the final scene. Ah, the beautiful white light cleansing the nice English family as they fly away on what seems to be a private chartered jet, escaping the danger and filth of Thailand and sure to spend next Christmas in Aspen. I shy from describing the film as outright racist because I am a coward ;), but, to quote myself, "I began to grow tired of the tight, borderline religious focus on this one vacationing British clan." The film's fixation on European suffering becomes claustrophobic.

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Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:30 am
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Post Re: The Impossible
You seem to be as paranoid about racism as most Germans are about antisemitism.

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Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:41 am
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Post Re: The Impossible
No the film actually takes a bit of somber mood...

Showing even though this family face such adversity it still was one of the lucky ones...

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Sat Jan 12, 2013 10:58 am
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Post Re: The Impossible
Mannyisthebest wrote:
"One of the worst films of the year. A visually incredible spectacle that leaves you feeling grimy and dirty for having marveled at the recreation of the tsunami wave and its destruction. "

The Tsunami was not over dramatic, the one that that exact location Khao Lak? was quite violent due to the geography of that area. If you watch the video Tsunami on youtube (has 32 million views or so), it shows the Tsunami hitting that area and you see the power and you are amazed and scared by that power.

The film's disaster scene and first half were excellent.

The use of actual water made the disaster look quite scary and real...

The film becomes a bit typical after the 2nd half...
However if your interested in a disaster film some heart, this is a good find.

B+

The Tsunami of 2004 is a disaster that will be always remember for its massive scale of destruction across many countries. Also the fact over 9,000 foriegn citizens were called made the disaster a global one.


It's ironic that you took the time to (incorrectly) quote my comment to criticize but then go on to say exactly what my complaint was. The tsunami sequence was a technical marvel, to be sure, but once it was done you're left less interested by the actual plight of the people in the aftermath.

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Sat Jan 12, 2013 1:47 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
that was Titanic to most males ^^^

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Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:25 pm
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Post Re: The Impossible
One of the best films of the year. It's really beautiful. I found the relationship between mother and son extremely touching. Naomi Watts is really great here, but even better is young Tom Holland. I was blown away by him. He has a very bright future ahead of him. Ewan McGregor is great as well, especially in a scene where he makes a phone call home.

On a technical level the film is brilliant. How it didn't score several technical nominations from the Academy is beyond me. The sound and production design is some of the best of the year.

I'm disappointed more people aren't seeing this film. It's terrific.

A


Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:46 am
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Post 
The Impossible

Extremely overrated. The film has some terrible dialogue and didn't really show just how powerful and tragic this disaster was by all of them surviving. I know it's a true story, but it wouldn't have been the first time that movies have changed history to suit its needs, and I think this would have been a perfect opportunity to kill off the two younger kids or the mother. Tom Holland, while his lines were terrible, he didn't really act that well either (apart from a few tears and sobs, he was wooden). I thought that Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor acted well and especially when McGregor broke down in tears on the phone to home, that had me really feeling for him and I was verging on emotional in that scene. The disaster scenes at the beginning were good but could have been better, they didn't wow me like I've been led to believe, and the disaster scenes later with Watts in 'slow-mo' should have been placed with the earlier scenes to beef it up because the tsunami scene is quite short. Plus, I think the movie could have benefitted from showing the tsunami starting under the water, then creeping towards the shore, then show it from the family's perspective in the pool. But kudos for using real water, and the cuts and grazes were all awesome, and hooray for Watts showing some tit in yet another movie - she doesn't seem to be able to keep them covered up.

The script was terrible, full of cringeworthy, unrealistic melodrama. So McGregor spots his 15 year-old son and shouts "Lucas", ok that's fine to get his attention, and Lucas retorts with "dad", all fine, but then they run to each other which takes about 30 seconds and they repeatedly shout each others' names (must be about 6 times each at full volume), why would you do that? You've spotted each other, just shut up and run (and it also happened with Lucas and the brothers' reunion). My eyes rolled. I think that would only happen in a movie. Plus, Lucas seemed a bit too mature for my liking; "No mum, because they're dead!" (seems a bit too levelheaded for a 15 year-old JUST after a tsunami has supposedly killed his family) and "It's ok mum, I'm not going to leave you, I promise, I will be here" (too mature - I don't believe for a second that a 15 year-old would say that), I think the Spanish family who told their story were trying to make heroes out of their children rather than telling the truth. There were more examples, his character was just terribly written - screenwriters have never been able to write children well but here it's even worse than before. I also didn't like how every step of the way people were dropping their own problems to help the central family. As if that would happen. The second-class Thai people were like slaves to them too.

The acting stank from all involved apart from the two leads (yes, not Holland, McGregor and Watts are the leads for me), especially the Thai nurse, she was reading off an autocue, I swear. Overall it was ok, but I don't understand why it's Oscar nominated.

C+

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Sun Jan 13, 2013 9:16 am
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Post Re:
Algren wrote:
The script was terrible, full of cringeworthy, unrealistic melodrama. So McGregor spots his 15 year-old son and shouts "Lucas", ok that's fine to get his attention, and Lucas retorts with "dad", all fine, but then they run to each other which takes about 30 seconds and they repeatedly shout each others' names (must be about 6 times each at full volume), why would you do that?

Hypothesis: That which enables you to be a racist also makes you a poor film viewer: having difficulty to climb into someone else's skin and walk around in it, a lack of imagination. Hence your preference for films with simple-minded heroes.

What do you think?

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Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:42 am
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Post Re: The Impossible
I think you should get a life.

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