As I’ve mentioned a few times, Mrs. Yeti and I don’t get out much these days, but, when we do, we see movies. And this past weekend, we saw an amazing one. The Impossible is the true story of one family’s struggle to survive the devastating tsunami that swept through Southeast Asia back in 2004. Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts turn in truly Oscar-caliber performances (there is one scene with Ewan on a cell phone that will literally rip your heart out!) but the boy who plays their eldest son, Tom Holland, is also incredibly good in a star-making turn.
That said, The Impossible is extremely graphic and very disturbing and is most definitely not for kids. Three people at our screening actually left the theatre in the first half hour, and these are supposedly jaded Hollywood types. Ha, losers! What’d they think they were coming to see? Wreck It Ralph?
Anyway, the movie is beautifully written by Sergio G. Sánchez and is directed by Juan Antonia Bayona, the same mad Spanish geniuses who teamed up to scare the hell out of us a few years back with The Orphanage. And just as he did in that movie, Bayona uses sound like no one else in the business. Seriously, sometimes the sounds are more harrowing and horrific than anything you’re seeing onscreen in this film. It’s pretty amazing. And the visuals are just as stunning, despite the gruesome events they’re often focusing on.
I won’t kid you and say this is an easy movie to sit through, Mrs. Yeti said she loved it, but that it was so real and troubling for her to watch, especially as a mother to a young child, that she could never watch it again. But, she said the exact same thing about Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue and we watch that all the time, so, you never know.
So, if you’re on the market for a truly inspiring, deeply-moving film this holiday season, then this is the date night movie for you. But, bring lots of Kleenex. Like, a whole box. Trust me, you’ll need it.
The Impossible opens in limited release on December 21st.
Stay-at-home-Yeti 
I haven’t heard of this movie, but what a great topic to do a film on. That said, I don’t think I’ll be able to watch it! I’m easily scared and worry a lot, and I can just imagine my emotions running wild with something like this, and so real too. It takes a lot for me to watch sad movies, even though I know it’s important to watch it. I had a hard time with Hotel Rwanda or couldn’t watch Inconvenient Truth!
Ha! That is so funny that you mention “Hotel Rwanda”, that is totally one of those movies that we loved and greatly admired as a searing piece of art, but never have to watch again. “Requiem for a Dream” is like that too! Great flicks, but, very hard to watch!
I cried watching the trailer yesterday…wow.
OMG, I know…me too. How was the movie you saw?