Inspired by a true story, J.A. Bayon's
The Impossible dramatizes the harrowing ordeal of the Bennett
family, who were separated by the catastrophic tsunami that rocked
southeast Asia on Boxing Day 2004. It's a fairly “Hollywoodized”
version of the truth (although the production is predominantly
Mexican), but there's no reason for that to be a dismissive
description. Bayona heightens the visceral experience of this real
life horror story by leaning on, naturally, horror movie tropes. The
gripping sound design, cringe-inducing makeup, and waivering string
music all contribute to Bayona's innovative real-life-as-horror
approach.
Stars Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, and
Tom Holland also do excellent work at embodying the fear that Bayona
is going for. While one can be justified in criticizing the film for
narrowing its dramatic eye on the wealthy tourists while brushing the
devastated Thai people under the rug, I wonder if rectifying that
would really have benefited the focused script all that much.
*** out of ****
