Shame Directed by Steve McQueen Starring Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie Plot Brandon (Fassbender) is a sex addict living in New York, whose lifestyle and obsession turns into self-destruction when his young, erratic sister Sissy (Mulligan) comes to stay. I had wanted to watch Shame for a while, and as I had some time to kill today waiting for my new laptop to be delivered (which I am in love with, by the way!), I took the opportunity to finally see it on Netflix.
Seconds in to the film, I realised I wasn't quite emotionally prepared for it. It starts with a macabre scene between Brandon and a strange women on the tube, where playful flirting soon becomes uncomfortable, interspersed with shots of him paying women for sex. We soon identify Brandon as an extremely lonely man with an uncontrollable habit. I will warn you, if easily offended by sexual scenes or nudity, then steer clear of this one, because there's a lot of it. The whole film is very up-close and personal, particularly with Michael Fassbender, but what I think the director has done so well is make the sex scenes totally devoid of emotion and deglamourised (is that a word?), making them part of the story rather than gratuitous. The only glimmer of hope we see is Brandon attempting to start a relationship with colleague Marianne; their chemistry in a voyeuristic scene of their first date brought a genuine smile to my face, and their almost-love scene is the only romantic one of the film.
Michael Fassbender is just incredible in this film. He fully commits himself to the role, and I think he is one of the best actors around at the moment. He simultaneously conveys the sinking feeling of despair with the mask of a charming man. Carey Mulligan is also brilliant, in probably the most outspoken role I've seen her in. She is brash and troubled and mesmerizing, and the scenes between Sissy and Brandon are the best of the film. The one seen from behind them on the sofa (in the image above), where Brandon finally expresses his anger towards her, had me holding my breath, it was so full of tension. The direction is stunning, too; the shots are long and static (Sissy singing in the club, Brandon running off his impulses), often focusing on the characters midriffs rather than their faces, and this gives a very realistic feel. This realism is also created through the minimal dialogue and the fact a lot is expressed visually rather than verbally. Shame has been criticised for not having enough development of the siblings' troubled past (which was obviously influential in who they are now), but I think this reflects reality; unlike some, more mainstream, films, where character backgrounds are nicely summed up in a speech or a flashback, here the audience are left to imagine it for themselves. The soundtrack of mostly hypnotising classical piano music is also brilliant, giving a kind of poetic feel. That sounded kind of cheesy, but you'll know what I mean if you see it. Shame has had a mixed reception; some felt it lacked in storyline, others think it a masterpiece. I personally loved it...it is more an observation into someone's life than a full story arc, making the emotion in it all the more visceral and moving. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Not quite perfect, butjust about. Oh, and don't watch it with your parents, could get a little awkward.
Have you seen Shame?
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"What if a child dreamed of becoming something other than what society intended? What if a child aspired to somethinggreater?"
Man Of Steel Directed by Zack Snyder Starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner
This weekend the much-awaited new Superman reboot, Man Of Steel, was released, and earlier today I went to see it with my Dad. You may have gathered by now that I get way too excited about films long before they are out, leading to a ridiculous amount of build up to new movies, and this was definitely one of them! As you may know, Man Of Steel is an 'origin story' (just for a change) of Kal-El or Superman. It shows his life from birth on his home planet Krypton as it is being destroyed, through a troubled adolescence coming to terms with being different, to fighting against General Zod and the last remainders of his people.
The opening of Man Of Steel is the best part, and just a brilliant piece of cinema. The film starts with Kal-El's birth, the first natural one on Krypton in an age. The planet is about to collapse, and his father, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) is determined to save the race by transporting his son to another land. The vast landscape shots of Krypton are just incredible, with a huge sunset and explosions across the horizon. The costume in particular is stunning, a mix between medieval regalia and futuristic armour. Seeing Kal-El grow up as Clark Kent is also brilliantly done; his childhood is told through flashbacks, which I'm not always a fan of, but it really works here. We see Clark struggle with his powers and become an outcast despite being a hero.
So let's talk about the super man himself. I have loved Henry Cavill since seeing him in The Tudors, but I can now confirm that he is the hottest man on not only this planet, but Krypton as well. Just....wow. He has an incredible physical presence that obviously suits the character well, and though he isn't the most expressive actor, he conveys some moments of pure emotion beautifully...I just wish we saw more of those moments. He is also convincing as a blend between an angry young loner, a loving son and a legend from another planet, and plays it with great subtlety.
As for the rest of the cast, Michael Shannon stands out as the fascistic military leader General Zod. There is definitely a crazed look behind his eyes that make him a pretty chilling villain that we could have done with getting to know better. The scene with his televised threat to the whole of Earth is one of the best of the movie. Amy Adams is nicely watchable as always as reporter Lois Lane, but I think her character could have been developed a lot more too. Her and Clark seem to be kinda pushed together with no scenes to back it up, and so that doesn't leave room for much chemistry. That could be the fault of the story, rather than the actors. The story also falls flat a little in the middle of the film, with a lot of spaceships flying around but nothing really gripping the audience. There is a lot of action. A LOT. So much that I personally found it a bit too much; there's only so many times you can see people being punched through buildings before it gets a bit dull. But, I will admit the apocalyptic action scenes do look incredible and create a sense of awe much bigger than Earth, a direct display of director Zack Snyder's style and reminiscent of his previous anti-hero film, Watchmen. But, unlike Watchmen, the whole world does look a little washed out and bleak, and though this reinforces the theme of metal and steel as metaphor for our hero, I think some more colour would have brought more life to the film.
Overall, I enjoyed Man Of Steel, but it wasn't as mind blowing as I'd hoped it would be. This is probably partly because of my daft tendency to build up my expectations for certain films, and therefore they have to be amazing to live up to them. I guess with Christopher Nolan as producer (The Dark Knight trilogy director) I was wanting more out of the story in terms of character and building tension as we saw with Batman. Parts of the film are genius, but it doesn't quite flow as a whole film and though I would definitely recommend seeing it and will be purchasing the DVD, it wasn't the perfect superhero movie I was hoping for. (Also, the trailers give away far too much of the film for my liking!) Rating: 3 out of 5 That's my verdict on a first watch, which my Dad thinks is really harsh haha! But hey, it's my opinion. If you're a superhero fan like me, then I would honestly tell you to go see this, cause it is really enjoyable and, as I have read a sequel has been commissioned, is a great set-up for what will hopefully be a brilliant new franchise. Just another thing, here's a drawing I did of Henry Cavill as Superman a few weeks ago, what do you think? What can I say, I just love looking at his face ha!
Jay Gatsby: "I knew it was a mistake for a man like me to fall in love..."
I have been so excited for this film! I know not everyone does, but I absolutely love Baz Luhrmann's version of Romeo & Juliet; how stylized it looks, the eccentricity of the camera angles and just the romance of the storytelling makes it one of my favourite films. When I heard he was taking on Gatsby, I was really looking forward to how he would interpret it. I actually saw this film around 2 weeks ago, but have left writing the review till now just because..I wasn't really sure what to say! First things first, The Great Gatsby looks amaaazing. I'll admit I saw it in 2D, so I can't speak for how it uses the third dimension but it was still beautiful, full of colour and decadence, visually showing the wealth and gluttony of the lives of the characters perfectly. The costumes are incredible and the party scenes are extraordinary, with every piece of the screen exuding life and glamour. It is quite in-your-face though, and kind of got a little bit much to be honest, because the film moves along so quick it is quite difficult to keep up! Despite that, weirdly, it feels long. Really long. Nearly 2 and a half hours!
I think the reason it feels so long is because there's a lack of actual storyline... for a start, it takes forever to actually meet Gatsby (though admittedly, when you do, there is literal fireworks) and there seems to be no cohesion between the scenes at the house and parties in between. This gets better as the film progresses, particularly after Gatsby and Daisy's affair is revealed to Tom Buchanan in a brilliant scene full of tension. Up until then, it kinda feels like nothing much is happening, making the audience impatient. This could maybe be down to the novel? I do own the book and have tried to read it several times, but it just never grabs me at the beginning so I haven't managed to finish it! Also, considering it is a love story, the really moving romantic moments that you want to see between Gatsby and Daisy are few and far between. Without doubt, the best thing in The Great Gatsby is the man himself, played by Leonardo Dicaprio. He plays the legendary character with such subtlety and control, it really is brilliant to watch. You believe that his life of luxury has all been to impress the love of his life, and that he will never give up hope of getting her back. Leo can do no wrong for me anyway, but he really is the highlight of the film. Though, if I never hear the phrase 'old sport' again, it will be too soon. Seriously.
The other legendary character is that of Daisy Buchanan, played by Carey Mulligan. Don't get me wrong, she looks stunning, but I just wasn't convinced by her. She didn't seem worthy of Gatsby, which, again, could be all to do with the character, because Carey did play her part well. Her husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton) is also thoroughly one-dimensional, and Tobey Maguire is good as always, but just seems to be standing around watching everyone else. There has been a lot of hype about the soundtrack, which does have a lot of my favourite artists including Florence Welch and Lana del Rey, but...I didn't love it. At times, particularly in the party scenes, it was really great and added to the atmosphere, but at others, it was jarring to what was on screen and just didn't seem to flow. This may just be me, but there you go.
Overall, I was a bit let down by The Great Gatsby, but that could have been a result of me building it up too much before seeing it! True to Tobey Maguire's voiceover, the only person you really like by the end of it is Gatsby himself. Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Definitely a case of style over substance! Have you seen The Great Gatsby? Thanks for reading! Sophie.
It is a sad, yet true, fact that I spend many an hour of my free time browsing film sites such as Empire magazine or imdb, looking at trailers and reviews of movies past, present, and future. Today I just thought I'd share some of the films that I'm bursting with excitement about watching! Here's my top 5... (Apologies for the tiny little videos, just hit full screen!) 1) First up, Man Of Steel.
Here's an epic trailer...
Fortunately, we haven't got too long to wait for this one, as it is released on June 14th. I loooove superheroes and anything comic book (as you can probably tell), but have never really gotten into the whole Superman thing. However, I cannot wait to see this! It's yet another 'origin story', following again in the footsteps of Nolan's Batman, and shows Clark Kent (or Kal-El) as a child growing up on Earth, who is then forced to fight against his true race and General Zod (Michael Shannon) in finding out his powers. It's directed by Zack Snyder, who also directed Watchmen, which is what I think gives me more faith in this film being a bit less cheesy than previous Superman adaptations. Also, Henry Cavill is playing the lead.... need I say more? 2) Next, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
This isn't out until November, but I'm excited already! It's the second in the Hunger Games trilogy, and was actually probably my favourite book, so I hope the film does it justice! The usuals are back; Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson, with some new characters too.
3) Next is a film I only heard about really recently, so I'm not even too sure what it's about! But, it looks awesome. It's called The East.
I think the general idea is an anarchist network infiltrating big corporations in a violent form of protest, and Brit Marling is kind of undercover in both? As I say I only just heard about it, but it's out June 28th so we'll know more then! Ha. It was the trailer that caught my attention..
4) Now we have the directorial debut of the beauuutiful Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Don Jon.
Yes, this is written by, directed by and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He also sings, dances, and plays guitar. Clearly the perfect man?!? Don Jon is meant to be fairly raunchy but looks pretty hilarious too. I just think this guy is super talented so can't wait to see how he directs too!
5) And what would a film wish-list be without Ryan Gosling?
I know he ain't looking his best there, but this is a film I've been waiting for a long time! It brings together Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling, who both previously worked on the hugely successful and quietly stunning Drive. It's a classic revenge tale, and promises even more violence than Drive (it even gained a red-band trailer), and has recently split critics at the Cannes Film Festival; some were loving it and others saying the violence is just too much. You can make up your own mind at its release on August 2nd.
And the aforementioned trailer.... (Red band: mature audiences only! Just to warn you!)
Apologies for the fairly long post, so hard to choose just five films I'm looking forward to!
Maybe I'll do another one of these? What do you think? Which films are you excited for? Thanks for reading! Sophie.
"You think your world is safe? It is not. So....shall we begin?"
Star Trek: Into Darkness (Watch the trailer here) Directed by J.J.Abrams Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban Words cannot describe how excited I was for this film. I don't claim to be a huge Star Trek fan; I haven't watched any of the original films or series, and fully admit to jumping on the bandwagon when J.J.Abrams rebooted the franchise back in 2009. He is one of my favourite directors, and the sci-fi legend seemed so much cooler in his hands. This is the sequel, and was heavily built up with a bigger budget, bigger cast and, following in the footsteps of Nolan's Batman (and as suggested by the name), was going for a darker feel.
Don't worry, you don't need to be a mega Star Trek or sci-fi fan to enjoy this film, it it just a genuinely brilliant watch. There's plenty of action, and it moves really quickly. The special effects are remarkable, and the whole film looks really bright and clean (with plenty of Abrams' signature 'lens flare' going on). It deftly balances a mixture of claustrophobia (and often panic) with the scenes aboard the Enterprise with the enormous beauty and scale of the universe and planets it creates.
Despite the aforementioned darkness, there is plenty of comedic moments; Simon Pegg is excellent (as always!) as Scotty, with some great one liners pulled off in a rather ridiculous Scottish accent. The whole ensemble (Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Bones, Uhura, Sulu, etc..) work really well together and bounce off each other, with the extremely hot Chris Pine doing a great job of combining both the cheeky ladies man and the conflicted Captain as James Kirk. I also liked Karl Urban, who gave a memorable performance as 'Bones' McCoy, and Zachary Quinto as Spock. Him and Pine have a great chemistry on screen as the legendary duo, and we get to see both Spock's human side and his logical Vulcan half (although my Dad did remark that Spock was a little too emotional for his liking).
The real star of the show here is the guy with the best name in the business, Benedict Cumberbatch. He is probably one of my all-time favourite actors, and he does not disappoint here. He plays villain John Harrison so brilliantly that you don't know whether to hate him or pity him, and is the kind of actor that just draws you right into the moment on screen with his incredibly physical and intelligent presence. He provides the darkness and emotion here, causes both Kirk and the audience to question the morality of what his character has been through, and is most definitely the highlight of the whole film.
I do have one little thing to moan about though! Which I hate to do about such an enjoyable film, but here goes. The ending: why is it so rushed? The audience is being pulled and pushed through the real heart of the action of the film, and then it just seems to cut a load of the plot out! (Believe me, if you see this you'll know what I mean). The film didn't feel particularly long, so I just wish they had told the ending properly, instead of making it feel hurried and a little cliche. (I know that paragraph was a bit of a riddle, but I don't want to drop any spoilers!)
Overall Star Trek: Into Darkness was a great film with an excellent narrative and fantastic performances, and one I'll watch over and over again: I'd highly recommend it to just about anyone! Rating: 4.5 out of 5 So close to perfect, I just wish they'd took their time with the end! Thanks for reading! PS: Apologies for lack of posts recently, been swamped with uni work. But, my second year is all finished with now, so I should hopefully have plenty more time for blogging! And a big thanks to some new followers I've gained! Sophie.
'S p r i n g b r e a k forever....' Last week I was with my beautiful uni friends up in Newcastle, and after some good solid uni work (a presentation which I just found out I got a first in! Yay!) we took a well-earned break and went to The Gate for something to eat and a cinema trip! The original plan was to see The Place Beyond The Pines, the latest installment in our Gosling loving, but unfortunately it was full by the time we got there! So, Spring Breakers was the second choice.
Spring Breakers, directed by Harmony Korine,is a full-on film about four girls who commit a robbery in order to fund their spring break, but who end up under rapper Alien's wing after he bails them out of prison. I had heard a lot of hype over Spring Breakers ever since the beginning of the year, so I was pretty excited. Sadly.... I was largely disappointed. I'll start off by saying that visually, Spring Breakers is brilliant. Full of saturated neon colour and stunning sunsets, it really does evoke a bright sense of summer and heat during spring break, with a great contrast of dark greyness when the girls are at college. In terms of fashion, you only have to look around your high street to see the grungy girlyness worn by Disney stars Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens in the film has had a direct influence. However... ... the film is shot through a lot of extreme close ups, and also with distorted visual effects to emanate the characters' drug use, which can be a little headache-inducing (although I did watch it from two feet away in a teeeny weeny cinema, so that probably didn't help).
Spring Breakers tends to tell its story indirectly, through images, which weirdly seems to slow the pace of the film down and yet make it a little hard to follow. Also, the plot itself is kind of nonexistent, and what little plot there is is a bit ridiculous, and, quite frankly, creepy. There is some good stuff here though; the way the robbery is shot from outside, through the window of the getaway car, is reeeeally cool, and the use of the sound of a gun shot between scenes (and when Alien mimes taking a picture) provides an ominous undertone and effective sense of dread. Also, when the film just takes a breath and slows down, it gets considerably better. James Franco is definitely the best thing about the film, once you get over his ridiculous appearance and accent. His chemistry with Faith (Selena Gomez) is tangible, and he brings the little comedy there is really well. Speaking of Faith, hers is the only character you can really like, but she is only present for half the film; this is where it goes downhill, because the only girl you cared about is gone, so you're not really bothered about what happens next.
One thing you NEED to know about Spring Breakers is that it is most certainly not one to watch with the family. There is barely a moment without some form of sex, nudity or phallic symbolism, which is so incessant that by the end it doesn't even make an impact. The four stars are gorgeous, but there's only so many girls in bikinis you can see bouncing around before you get a little bored (even the boys next to me were! Honest!). As I say, I was pretty disappointed with Spring Breakers. There was good moments, but overall too much sex, not enough character development and basically no plot. I'll always love James Franco, but I'm not sure what drew him to this film and his character, I guess I think he's better than this. I hate to say this about any film, but it just wasn't worth the price of the cinema ticket, and I wouldn't even recommend giving it a watch! Rating: 1.5 out of 5 (I couldn't decide between 1 and 2!) Have you seen Spring Breakers? Thanks for reading! Sophie.
Side Effects Directed by Steven Soderbergh Starring Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum
Side Effects is a psychological thriller (an overused term I know, but bear with me) about Emily (Rooney Mara), a woman who is prescribed a new drug for depression after her husband (Channing Tatum) returns from a stint in prison, but suffers from some startling and violent side effects as a result.... I hadn't heard too much about this film prior to seeing it, strangely enough, so was happy to be in the dark while watching it and not have any judgements to go on. I'll be honest, it starts slow. Really slow. The first scene is that of bloody footprints across the floor, which then flashes back to three weeks earlier. This does give a sense of tension, but by about halfway in you are almost so bored that you've completely forgotten about it. However.... This is definitely a film of two halves, because after we see the cause of the blood stains in a brilliantly stark and shocking portrayal of murder (I actually gasped out loud and shot my hand over my mouth!), Side Effects really gains pace.
The highlight of the film is the excellent soundtrack; the music is chilling, hypnotic, and almost childlike at times, perfectly enhancing Rooney Mara's vulnerable, ethereal character and the mysterious plot we see unraveling on screen. The scenes between Mara and Jude Law's psychiatrist Jonathan Banks are the best, both playing their part with subtlety as their relationship develops. Catherine Zeta-Jones is Emily's previous psychiatrist, and despite having quite a key part in terms of the plot, I think her character is a little cliche (you know, hair slicked in a bun, big glasses to look more intelligent, dodgy suits) and the more we find out about her and Emily, the less believable it gets.
There are a fair few twists as the film nears its end, which keeps you guessing and forces you to question your initial judgement of the characters and their motives throughout and is part of the reason the second half is so gripping. However, there isn't enough backstory provided for you to fully understand what's going on at times, leaving you confused, and when you do understand it all seems a bit tenuous. Channing Tatum's character Martin and his past is crucial, but you can only figure that out after thinking long and hard about it! It is entirely possible that this is the point; the less you know, the more you have to piece it together yourself, and I guess it's better than patronising the audience and having everything spelled out for you. I realise that paragraph is a bit baffling in itself, but it's quite difficult to talk about this film without giving away any spoilers! I'd hate to ruin it for anyone.
Overall, I came out of the cinema happy. It may take a while to get into, but is definitely worth it by the end. Steven Soderbergh, who also directed Channing Tatum in Magic Mike, has a certain voyueristic style of filming that makes you feel part of the scene and I think that's what gets you so intrigued in the story. There are good performances all round, particularly from Jude Law, who is the only character you truly empathise with as you watch his life fall apart. Side Effects is an interesting film that works hard to surprise you, and uses the grim subject matter of depression to create a bleak, cold mood that blends with the psychological theme. The sense of mystery around the characters is done really well, and the second half alone is a reason to watch this film. Rating: 3/5 Thanks for reading! Sophie.
Last night was the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, with lots of lovely film stars and beautiful dresses to be seen! Here's some of the winners: Film Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook
Jennifer Lawrence took home the award for best actress after her performance as Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook, a drama attempting to tackle the issue of mental health. I read mixed reviews of the film, but never actually got round to watching it! However, I love Jennifer's refreshing acting style, seen in The Hunger Games and X Men: First Class, so I'm sure it's a deserved win. I also love her navy blue Dior Couture dress, simple jewellery and movie star red lips! Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
From the reviews I've heard, Daniel Day-Lewis does an understated yet stunning job of playing the iconic Abraham Lincoln in Stephen Spielberg's new epic. Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables
The beautiful Anne Hathaway is said to steal the show during her limited screentime in Les Mis with her rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream'. Her pixie crop of hair goes perfectly with her black mesh detail Giambattisa Valli dress; Anne is one of my favourite actresses so I'm really glad she won! TV Best Actress in a drama series: Claire Danes in Homeland
Best Actor in a drama series: Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad
These are two series that I know I really should be watching (shame on me!) but I just haven't gotten round to it! I'll make it a New Years Resolution to catch up on them, I promise. Here's some of the gorgeous red carpet looks:
The Impossible's Naomi Watts in an intricately embellished Marchesa gown, with Hollywood-glamour blonde waves and scarlet lips. Love the boxy clutch bag!
Jessica Chastain matches her fiery locks with a bright red strapless Alexander McQueen gown. I hope to see and review her new film Zero Dark Thirty soon!
Helen Hunt looked incredible in this molten silver dress from Romona Keveza with a Swarovski clutch bag.
Nina Dobrev from The Vampire Diaries (which might be one of my favourite TV shows!) goes for simple but effective in a summery, hot pink Elie Saab dress.
....aaaand I just had to get a little bit of Eddie Redmayne in there, mainly because I love him. And his freckles. Thanks for reading! Sophie. (pictures from www.vogue.co.uk)
The Impossible (2013) Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona Starring Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland
'Nothing is more powerful than the human spirit.' First things first, I'm not the type of person who loves the genre of film that sets out to have you weeping and claims to 'tug at the heartstrings'...but I have to say, The Impossible won me over. The Impossible tells the story of the tragic Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 from one family's point of view. The film starts as you might expect; happy family with sullen teenager go on holiday to the beautiful Thailand for an idyllic family Christmas to the backdrop of stunning beaches and sunsets, all of which can only fill the viewer with dread at knowing the horror that await them.
Odd as it is to say it, the triumph of the film is the tsunami itself. The spine chills as soon as it hits, destroying everything in its path. The camera is swirled to and fro, sound rushes past you from every angle; every blow to the characters, you wince as if experiencing it yourself. 'Close your eyes and think of something nice...' The real star of the film, in my eyes, is Tom Holland as eldest son Lucas. Having already featured in Billie Elliot the Musical, he gives an astonishing performance as a boy frightened for his own life who shows incredible strength to save his mother and sacrifices his own needs for those of others. Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor are also amazing as parents Maria and Henry. Both are full of raw emotion and heartbreak that leave you reeling for the whole film.
There have been questions asked about The Impossible in that the original family which the characters are based on are actually Spanish, and some see the use of an all-blonde, all-Caucasian main cast as unnecessary and inappropriate. I believe that changing the ethnicity of the family does not add anything, but that we cannot deny the extraordinary performances brought to the film by those who were cast: maybe, quite simply, they were the best people for the job. I must admit, despite hearing plenty of good things about it, The Impossible was not my first choice of film. However, I left the cinema completely awestruck, horrified and emotionally drained. It is a heart-wrenching journey full of incredibly moving moments that will linger with you long after the credits end. Rating: 4/5 Even if you don't think this is your type of thing, this film deserves to be watched! Thanks for reading, Sophie.
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