Breathe (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'Breathe' - Andy Serkis' (that's Gollum, to you) directorial debut - is based on the inspirational true story of Robin Cavendish, who became paralyzed after contracting the polio virus in 1958. I love these types of old-school period dramas. I liked this one just fine, but it lacks a certain depth & complexity to the real life character which prevents me from outright loving it. Onto the plot. In 1957, it was "love at 1st sight" when charming, athletic, globetrotting Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) caught a vision of pretty socialite Diana Blacker (Claire Foy, so good in The Crown) from across the cricket field.
Despite her family's misgivings (including twins played by cheeky Tom Hollander), they married quickly & flew off for Kenya {pronounced Keenya, here}, where Robin worked as a tea-broker. Enjoying a picture-perfect life (Diana became pregnant), fortunes change for the couple when - one day during a tennis match - Robin contracted polio. Paralyzed from the neck down with possibly 3 months to live, Robin could only breathe through a ventilator. Resolute to return to the U.K., Claire relocates Robin to a polio ward, supervised by Dr. Entwhistle (Jonathan Hyde, you'll remember him from 1997's Titanic). Depressed in that sterile confinement, Robin yearns to go home, but it's seemingly impossible until Claire consults with Dr. Khan (Amit Shah), who informs her that Robin's mechanical respirator CAN work anywhere but, if it stops for as little as 2 minutes, Robin would die.
Longing to enhance the quality of his life, steadfast Claire has Robin moved to a remote country home she's bought. There, he can be with his wife, son, & a plethora of supportive friends; one happens to be Oxford amateur inventor Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville, of Downton Abbey), who constructs him a wheelchair equipped with a mobile respirator. Working with the director of the Disability Research Foundation, and after seeking a $$ grant from wealthy Lady Neville (Diana Rigg, of Game of Thrones), Robin & Diana work unwaveringly to free others stricken with polio from hospital confinement. Robin becomes an advocate for the disabled & lives his life the best way he can til he dies at age 64. Inspiration abounds.
I entered 'Breathe' wanting to love it. I was curious about Andy Serkis' directorial debut. I admire Andrew Garfield's performances. Having seen The Crown, I was eager to see Claire Foy. And I love period biopics. Having said that, the finished product is only okay, and that's due mostly to the script. When the film opens in '57, the account of the courtship of Robin & Diana - while lovely - is so brief & fleeting, that I couldn't BELIEVE how little we see of their lives before he's suddenly stricken with polio. The romance & character building is rushed; big mistake. This film is compared to 2014's The Theory of Everything, and that film took its time developing the foundation of the lead characters {their bond, affections, ups & downs}. Good as the actors here are, they can't fill in the large gaps of the script.
Andy Serkis seems to have a grasp on his directorial skills. I liked the way the camera moved. I loved the sweeping vistas & landscapes shots that his cinematographer captured; especially while in Africa. And he keeps the focus on the characters. Andrew Garfield is excellent as the initially vital, full-of-life romantic whose entire essence is ruined due to the polio. His joie de vivre is as palpable as his eventual depression. It's a physical role, too; having to learn how to move his face & talk as someone on this portable respirator. I wonder if his performance can crack the top 5 for Best Actor this year.
Even more impressive is Claire Foy. Her Diana simply will not allow Robin to give up on his life. Her determination is not over-the-top, but insistent enough that we care for her & her strife. There's a wellspring of emotion behind her large, still eyes. But again, as the proper, stiff upper-lipped Englishwoman who is quietly devastated by her situation, she never overplays the emotion. Technically, the film is sings; with beautiful camerawork, lovely art direction, subtle aging make-up & sweeping music. But the movie doesn't 'sing' because, while the film is accurate (Robin's son is one of the producers) & a labor of love (Andy Serkis' sister suffers from MS) ... the Cavendishes' struggle - as depicted in the film - is too clean, too straightforward, & lacking the necessary depth to feel walloped in the end.
Despite her family's misgivings (including twins played by cheeky Tom Hollander), they married quickly & flew off for Kenya {pronounced Keenya, here}, where Robin worked as a tea-broker. Enjoying a picture-perfect life (Diana became pregnant), fortunes change for the couple when - one day during a tennis match - Robin contracted polio. Paralyzed from the neck down with possibly 3 months to live, Robin could only breathe through a ventilator. Resolute to return to the U.K., Claire relocates Robin to a polio ward, supervised by Dr. Entwhistle (Jonathan Hyde, you'll remember him from 1997's Titanic). Depressed in that sterile confinement, Robin yearns to go home, but it's seemingly impossible until Claire consults with Dr. Khan (Amit Shah), who informs her that Robin's mechanical respirator CAN work anywhere but, if it stops for as little as 2 minutes, Robin would die.
Longing to enhance the quality of his life, steadfast Claire has Robin moved to a remote country home she's bought. There, he can be with his wife, son, & a plethora of supportive friends; one happens to be Oxford amateur inventor Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville, of Downton Abbey), who constructs him a wheelchair equipped with a mobile respirator. Working with the director of the Disability Research Foundation, and after seeking a $$ grant from wealthy Lady Neville (Diana Rigg, of Game of Thrones), Robin & Diana work unwaveringly to free others stricken with polio from hospital confinement. Robin becomes an advocate for the disabled & lives his life the best way he can til he dies at age 64. Inspiration abounds.
I entered 'Breathe' wanting to love it. I was curious about Andy Serkis' directorial debut. I admire Andrew Garfield's performances. Having seen The Crown, I was eager to see Claire Foy. And I love period biopics. Having said that, the finished product is only okay, and that's due mostly to the script. When the film opens in '57, the account of the courtship of Robin & Diana - while lovely - is so brief & fleeting, that I couldn't BELIEVE how little we see of their lives before he's suddenly stricken with polio. The romance & character building is rushed; big mistake. This film is compared to 2014's The Theory of Everything, and that film took its time developing the foundation of the lead characters {their bond, affections, ups & downs}. Good as the actors here are, they can't fill in the large gaps of the script.
Andy Serkis seems to have a grasp on his directorial skills. I liked the way the camera moved. I loved the sweeping vistas & landscapes shots that his cinematographer captured; especially while in Africa. And he keeps the focus on the characters. Andrew Garfield is excellent as the initially vital, full-of-life romantic whose entire essence is ruined due to the polio. His joie de vivre is as palpable as his eventual depression. It's a physical role, too; having to learn how to move his face & talk as someone on this portable respirator. I wonder if his performance can crack the top 5 for Best Actor this year.
Even more impressive is Claire Foy. Her Diana simply will not allow Robin to give up on his life. Her determination is not over-the-top, but insistent enough that we care for her & her strife. There's a wellspring of emotion behind her large, still eyes. But again, as the proper, stiff upper-lipped Englishwoman who is quietly devastated by her situation, she never overplays the emotion. Technically, the film is sings; with beautiful camerawork, lovely art direction, subtle aging make-up & sweeping music. But the movie doesn't 'sing' because, while the film is accurate (Robin's son is one of the producers) & a labor of love (Andy Serkis' sister suffers from MS) ... the Cavendishes' struggle - as depicted in the film - is too clean, too straightforward, & lacking the necessary depth to feel walloped in the end.