Film Review: "The Impossible" (2012).

"In 2004, a devastating tsunami hit Southeast Asia. This is one family's true story of survival. Nothing is more powerful than the human spirit." This is the story of The Impossible. This disaster drama film directed by J. A. Bayona, written by Sergio G. Sánchez, and based on the experience of María Belón and her family in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. In December 2004, close-knit family Maria, Henry, and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand. But the day after Christmas, the idyllic holiday turns into an incomprehensible nightmare when a terrifying roar rises from the depths of the sea, followed by a wall of black water that devours everything in its path. Though Maria and her family face their darkest hour, unexpected displays of kindness and courage ameliorate their terror.

By mid August 2010, Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast, and Geraldine Chaplin were cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in late February 2011. Filming took place in Phang Nga, Thailand, and at Ciudad de la Luz studios (City of Light studios) in Alicante, Spain. The tsunami was recreated with a mixture of digital effects and real water surges filmed in slow motion created in a water tank in Spain using miniatures that were destroyed by a huge wave. Bayona committed to working with real water rather than a computer-generated wave because he wanted the story to be authentic. This meant Watts and Holland spent five weeks filming physically and psychologically demanding scenes in a massive water tank. Holland later described it as a "scary environment ...You can imagine how tiring and brutal that was." Watts was strapped in a rotating chair. While filming, Watts couldn't hold her breath any longer and she gave the 'stop' sign. Instead of stopping, the chair started spinning the other way around. Later it was revealed that it was a technical error and Watts stated that she felt very scared and hated the chair for that reason. The crew filmed partially on location at the actual resort where the Belon family was vacationing when the tsunami hit. For the tsunami destruction scenes, a scaled model of the resort was used. The scene could only be filmed once. It would have cost too much money to rebuild the set. It took a year to put together the ten-minute sequence, a recreation of the moment the wave came crashing down on the luxury hotel in Khao Lak. The actual family served as consultants and were present during the whole shooting process. Many of the extras were actual survivors of the tsunami.

The cast deliver great performances that traps the viewers attention, making a film that revisits the tropes of the genre seen many times in blockbuster films, but with all the elements of independent cinema.

Well-acted and blessed with a refreshingly humanistic focus, The Impossible is a disaster film that makes uncommonly smart use of disaster film clichés.

Simon says The Impossible receives: