Lo imposible (2012)
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A family's survival is put to the ultimate test after they are caught in the path of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The story
In December 2004, Dr. Maria Bennett, her husband Henry, and their three sons travel to Khao Lak, Thailand, for a holiday. While staying at the Orchid Beach Resort, they are struck by the massive Indian Ocean tsunami. Maria and one of her sons, Lucas, survive the initial wave but are separated from the rest of the family. Maria sustains serious injuries and is transported to a hospital in Takua Pa, while Henry and the two younger boys are swept away to different locations. The film follows their desperate struggle to survive the immediate aftermath of the disaster and their arduous journey to find and reunite with one another.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the tsunami, Maria and Lucas are taken to a hospital in Takua Pa, while Henry and the younger boys, Simon and Thomas, are separated from them. Maria is injured and undergoes surgery, while Lucas is briefly separated from her due to a medical mix-up. Henry, aided by a German tourist named Karl, searches for his family and eventually finds the two younger boys. The boys are eventually reunited with Henry. Meanwhile, Lucas is reunited with his mother in the hospital. The family eventually boards an ambulance airplane to Singapore for Maria's further treatment, where they reflect on the tragedy and the survival of their loved ones.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 113
- Production countries
- Spain
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- J. A. Bayona
- Writers
- Sergio G. Sánchez · writer
- Cast and characters
- Naomi Watts · Maria; Ewan McGregor · Henry; Tom Holland · Lucas
- Genres
- biographical; disaster; drama
- Themes
- survival; family; resilience
- Tone and mood
- emotional; tense; realistic
- Premise and plot tags
- disaster; survival; based on true events
- Source material / true-story basis
- the experience of María Belón and her family
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics for its direction and acting, with some critics praising its emotional realism and others noting its focus on a single family's journey.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 42
- Awards and nominations
- Best Director · Goya Awards · Win; Editing · Goya Awards · Win; Production Supervision · Goya Awards · Win; Sound · Goya Awards · Win; Special Effects · Goya Awards · Win; Best Actress · Academy Award · Nomination; Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama · Golden Globe Award · Nomination; Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role · Screen Actors Guild Award · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film used a mixture of digital effects and real water, with real water filmed in slow motion in a tank in Spain.; The production employed much of the crew from The Orphanage.; The director chose not to specify the nationalities of the main characters to create a more universal film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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