Making a movie about one of the most horrific natural disasters in human history is undoubtedly a daunting task, yet Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona has tackled it and produced a film that is, by turns, harrowing, touching, devastating and inspiring. Its depiction of the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that ravaged Thailand (where this story is set) and Indonesia is a masterwork of special effects, outdoor production design and costuming / makeup.  Bayona’s film captures the absolute horror that swept some quarter of a million people to their deaths — yet his movie focuses on an extremely fortunate family of five that struggle to survive the raging waters.

I want to take a moment right here to address a strident criticism that this movie has faced, which is that it has been called racist because it is not about an Indonesian or native family, but about a white family.  Some people are up in arms because the movie (based on a very true story) seemingly ignores the tsunami’s effect on the native population.  This is a heartfelt but frivolous criticism.  As a movie, this Spanish-produced production with English-speaking stars (Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor) is made to dramatize how the disaster affected an ordinary family, and it succeeds admirably.  It doesn’t pretend to examine the big picture, nor should it; the film is an intimate, personal glimpse at a horrific event.  Native Thais are part of the story — and are very helpful to Watts and her son Tom Holland — but they are simply not the focus of this particular story.  Movies like this should not have to apologize for taking a relatable approach to a huge story, and trying to be successful while doing so.

Indeed, this is probably just the first Hollywood-style movie to address the tsunami disaster.  Other films of the future will feature it prominently or as a secondary theme just as movies of the past have addressed the R.M.S. Titanic disaster or the Moon landing.  The event is a part of history and will be cinematically explored and exploited over the years to come.  And undoubtedly the film industry of the Far East will have much more to say about it, as it occurred in that territory.  But for now, Juan Antonio Bayona has made a film with its own titanic force and heartbreaking performances that should make audiences glad they were on this side of the world at the time of the disaster.

In a physically demanding role Naomi Watts is fabulous, doing everything in her power to save her oldest son when they are separated from her husband and their two other boys.  Watts is Oscar-nominated and reason enough to see this movie, but it is dramatically rewarding in many other respects, too.  After the tsunami Watts and Holland (who, like Watts, is exceptional) are found and taken to a hospital, which is clearly overwhelmed by the flood and floods of people needing aid.  The hospital looks like a war zone with blood and grime everywhere, no one to clean it up and no time to do so, and an overworked staff doing their best to help those whom they can. The hospital scenes comprise most of the movie’s second half, allowing McGregor and his two boys to search for their loved ones amidst the ruin of Thailand’s coast.

Disaster movies attempt to provide enough life-endangering spectacle to frighten or thrill their audiences, but they also celebrate the characters who strive to survive. While The Impossible is not a typical disaster movie it nonetheless creates and sustains a hopeful tone, witnessing miracles of people surviving against all odds; sons reunited with their fathers; compassion and generosity traded among strangers. The Impossible cannot avoid some of the clichés of this type of drama, yet it delivers a powerful picture of hope among the ruins.  ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2.  14 January 2013.