April 24, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 25 ‘The Impossible’ is story of natural, personal disaster by Dennis Seuling “The Impossible” (Summit Entertainment) is a testament to the adage that truth can be stranger than fiction. Based on actual events, the movie focuses on an average family -- Maria (Naomi Watts), husband Henry (Ewan McGregor), and their three sons -- who are on Christmas vacation in Thailand when their coastal resort is struck by a tidal wave. The family is split up, with son Lucas (Tom Holland) caring for his injured mother alone, and the younger boys apparently swept away and killed. The tidal wave and its devastation were created through time-tested special effects, including models, a massive water tank, and photographic blending of images, rather than computer-generated imagery. Director Juan Antonio Bayona (“The Orphanage”) emphasizes the human tragedy of a family desperate to reunite rather than the means separating them in the first place. He also avoids graphic images of bodies shattered by the force of being thrust by tons of water against buildings, trees, and other objects. Viewers do see bodies, but the camera does not linger on them. This is an emotional film with many heart-rending scenes that rely on viewers imagining themselves in similar devastating circumstances. Watts is especially effective as a woman who feels helpless because her injuries keep her from doing what it takes to find her family. That task falls largely to Lucas, who gets a crash course in growing up. Holland turns in perhaps Maria (Naomi Watts) and son Lucas (Tom Holland) survive a tidal wave while on vacation in ‘The Impossible.’ the movie’s strongest performance as a kid agonizing over what he might learn about the fate of other family members, but is determined to find out. His face is extremely (continued on Crossword page)