Mum lent me the DVD a few months back but I've always put off watching it as I wanted to be "in the mood", knowing full well I'd sob through the whole thing. However, you can't really be in the mood for it. It's sad. Really sad.
I think it's been done really well though, it's moving and sympathetic and gives you a good insight (as much as anyone who wasn't there can imagine!) into what actually happened, and how bad it really was.
This film also has some significance for me - my Other Half's mum is convinced that the Other Half would not be here today if it wasn't for his grandad dying. Let me explain.
In 2004 (before the Other Half and I had met), he set out on a world trip with a friend from Uni. They travelled around Asia for 3 months, planning to stay there for a few more months before flying to Australia to work. However, after a few months of exploring (ahem, drinking and partying more like), he received a devastating phonecall from his sister - their grandad had died. So, he had to make the difficult decision - stay out with his friend and finish the trip of a lifetime, or go home to his family. He chose to go home.
A few weeks later, the Other Half's hostel was on the front page of a national British newspaper, in ruins.
Now, I don't normally believe in this sort of thing, but you have to admit, that's pretty scary.
And this film really brought it home how lucky he had been to have come home just in time, or who knows what his, or my, future would have looked like.
Anyway, on a lighter note, we both managed to go on an amazing trip together in 2012/13 and it was the best thing we've ever done - I was able to fulfill a lifelong dream, and the Other Half was able to finish the trip he started. We visited Thailand, the Other Half's last stop before coming home on his last trip, and it was good too see all the 'Tsunami Evacuation Route' signs along the beach, even if they were a little scary.
Anyway, if you haven't seen The Impossible yet, grab some tissues and a big box of chocolates - I hear they're good for helping to subside tears...
And if you haven't already heard of them, also check out Gandys Flip Flops - a charity set up by two brothers who lost their parents in the tsunami. They produce flip flops and 10% of their profit goes to support children in need of basic essentials such as shelter, nutrition, medication and education. A great example of something good coming out of something so tragic.
The Impossible trailer from Youtube.com
Thailand photograph from originmagazine.com
No comments:
Post a Comment