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This is the blog where I talk about the latest movies I've seen. These are my two Schnauzers, Rufus (left) and Marley (right, RIP). As of now, the Double Hollywood Strikes are officially over. May the next strikes not last as long as these ones did.

Monday, January 7, 2013

The Impossible

It's nice to have a hotel room with an ocean view. You can see the ocean up-close; you can even see it as it comes to kill you.

Sorry.

But while you watch a movie like The Impossible, you might want to try anything to keep your spirits up. Even if it is a dumb joke.

Maria (Naomi Watts) and Henry Benett (Ewan McGregor), based off the real life Belons, take their three sons to Thailand for a nice vacation. Unfortunately, it's Christmas 2004; the day after Christmas, there comes the Tsunami.

When the water washes away, Maria and the eldest son, Lucas (Tom Holland) are stranded, alone, in what used to be paradise. Together, they try to survive hell on earth. Meanwhile, Henry tries to find them while keeping the younger sons, Thomas and Simon safe.

A good word for this movie is relentless. Its scenes of carnage and drama are its dominating forces. Among the "highlights": Maria being thrashed about the water for a long while, and suffering injuries which makes one question the film's PG-13 rating. There's barely, if any, relief from the drama, which only adds to the intensity on-screen.

Also contributing to the drama are its leads. Watts, McGregor and Holland convincingly portray desperate people who find hope by keeping others' spirits up. The more they prove resilient, against nature and for each other, the more these characters earn the audience's admiration. Even before the disaster hits, these are characters the audience hopes would reunite in the land of the living.

At 103 minutes, The Impossible stays on point as it heads for an upbeat ending. Even so, getting to that ending is a definitely intense experience. So don't go into the movie unprepared.

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