The Impossible

[Octoberist]

I liked Zero Dark Thirty, hmm!

 

[jacobed]

I liked it too but I thought this was better. Very powerful film

 

[Octoberist]

I need to see it soon!

 

[Bim]

Yeah I enjoyed the hell out of this movie when I saw it months back and agreed to who said this was far more deserving than a movie like Zero Dark Thirty.

Agreed (sorry Octoberist lol). Did you cry, Kane? You can admit it, you know

 

[jacobed]

I liked it too but I thought this was better. Very powerful film

 

[Bim]

I'm obsessed with this soundtrack lately. I find it so haunting and yet so beautiful at the same time. It's just perfect for this movie imo.

[YT]dnxgokLCyDc&feature=share&list=PLFCEE1D30D7768594[/YT]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnxgokLCyDc&feature=share&list=PLFCEE1D30D7768594

 

[Kane52630]

Agreed (sorry Octoberist lol). Did you cry, Kane? You can admit it, you know

 

[the last son]

The most boring movie. Ever. This is my second time trying to watch it and I just can't do it.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

I like the first 2/3rds of the movie, but the last 1/3rd, when everyone is at the same hospital just missing each other just seemed to Hollywood for me. It may have been how it happened, I don't know, but it seemed very "written for the big screen."

 

[The Guard]

I felt the same, though even then there is a certain magic to the last third of the film. It's very saccharine, but it's well made for all that. The performances are fantastic.

 

[Bim]

It may have been how it happened, I don't know, but it seemed very "written for the big screen."

Indeed, that's exactly how things happened. Their story is just so fantastic, that's why they called it The Impossible. Everything that you saw in the movie is the family's story as best as they remember it.

 

[Lord]

Looks like another white people in peril movie, hell, i know there were tourists in there when this happened, but Hollywood never makes it about the people who actually live there in Thailand.

 

[the last son]

Yea, I just didn't buy the acting. Watts does more screaming than anything else. Very annoying. I get it, your leg is broken. Screaming for 2 minutes straight was very annoying. Maybe one day I'll finish it.

 

[jacobed]

I like the first 2/3rds of the movie, but the last 1/3rd, when everyone is at the same hospital just missing each other just seemed to Hollywood for me. It may have been how it happened, I don't know, but it seemed very "written for the big screen."

That's the point of the movie. It's a very very true story, really the thing they changed was the nationality of the family.

 

[Lord]

That's the point of the movie. It's a very very true story, really the thing they changed was the nationality of the family.

Why am i not surprised?

 

[Kane52630]

Well they were originally a Spanish family and the director, who is also Spanish, changed it so it could get a wider appeal.

 

[Lord]

It's just a shame that in 2013 we still have to white wash everything in order to get a "broader appeal". Media is what influences our choices in entertainment, without trial and change everything stays the same, and the mindset doesn't change.

 

[the last son]

Yes, but mostly whites control media, so until that changes it will be what it is.

 

[danoyse]

See, if you actually read up on why those changes were made, you'd be less inclined to go into needless cries of racism:

http://veryaware.com/2012/12/interv...elen-atienza-maria-belon-talk-the-impossible/

While the film shows events almost exactly how they happened, it did go through one major alteration. Filmmakers decided to change the original Spanish family to an English one. Says Sánchez,

“We didn’t know if we were going to get the financing to make this film. That first draft was in Spanish. Even in that first draft, 80% of the dialogue was in English because after the wave comes, that’s the language everyone would use to communicate. So then with the characters, you never know where they are from. We let everyone keep their accents. Instead of working against that, we thought it was an interesting concept to have this family have no home. It’s not clear what’s the home they want to go back to. At the end, they realize home is where they are together. We were trying to make it universal – to try to create a place where nationality didn’t matter.”

Bayona reiterates,

“It felt quite natural to get an English speaking cast. It was a film about people – about a Western family going to Thailand and how it’s an experience that transforms them. It’s the end of these people’s innocence. There’s a lot of suffering in survival – it’s not a victory. I thought that was very interesting.”

 

[Octoberist]

I think no one's really wrong in this debate; it's a rabbit hole really. Bayona has a point though it could be just a PR spin. Besides, if I were in his situation and that's the only way to get the movie made, I may have to compromise and go with it. As long it's a good movie it'll lead to more opportunities that perhaps, to more projects to his liking or sensibilities without all of the compromises.

Sometimes sticking to your guns can we rewarding too. Look at 'Legend of Korra'. Nickelodeon delayed production because they had a female in the lead. But the creators kept on pushing until Nick gave in and now look at it's success. It's not the best example because it's an English-spoken production, but the theme of 'accessibility vs non-accessibiltiy' is still there.

 

[Lord]

See, if you actually read up on why those changes were made, you'd be less inclined to go into needless cries of racism:

http://veryaware.com/2012/12/interv...elen-atienza-maria-belon-talk-the-impossible/

I had already read that, and no that doesn't excuse the fact that things like this have to be white washed

I understand the creators and writers point of view, but that still doesn't mean it's correct to white wash everything, studios seem to have this idea about other nationalities and female protagonists that is not very progressive and a little limited.

 

[Octoberist]

Yeah when it comes down to it, I think it would've been better if they still had Bardem and Cruz in the lead roles.

 

[Laderlappen]

So what if they are white? The color of the skin doesnt make the characters. Besides, if they were spanish, we couldnt have Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor in the movie.

 

[the last son]

Watts was awful. More screaming than talking or anything else for that matter.

 

[Kane52630]

Watts was awful. More screaming than talking or anything else for that matter.