The Impossible (2012, dir. Juan Antonia Bayona) ****/****

The Impossible is one of the most emotionally-involving movies I have seen in a long time.  It is about a family and their experience of trying to survive the tsunami of 2004.  It is difficult to watch at the same time that you can't tear your eyes away from the screen.  The performances are amazing.  Naomi Watts plays the mother and deserves her nomination for best actress.  The other performances are great as well|:  Ewan McGregor as the father and the three children.  Tom Holland as the oldest boy, Lucas, is particularly noteworthy.  The performances are all so realistic that not once would you question if this was a true story and a real family.  The special effects of the tsunami itself are breath-taking:  you get a real sense of the mass destruction and loss of human life.  The story is so gripping that the nearly two hours flies by and you are left dazed and amazed at this movie.  It makes you appreciate the fragility of life and the importance of the family in today's society.