Movie Review: Breathe (2017)
There have been numerous movies, including “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Theory of Everything,” that tell the stories of people suffering from various disabilities. And such films usually follow the same structure: A protagonist suddenly undergoes unexpected, life-changing debilitations that threaten his future. Typically socially awkward but excelling in what they do, these characters need to cope up with their new normal. “Breathe,” the new film starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy, borrows its fabric from the same cloth. As a period piece molded after the two films, it is at times formulaic—but more often very affective.
During the course of the narrative, these characters slowly lose the use of their other faculties. Hence, they’d become emotionally distant and undergo depression, even beginning to entertain the idea of death to end their misery. In these trying times, they are supported by long-suffering devoted partners who understand their conditions more than they’ll ever know.
The film tells the story of Robin Cavendish, a young man who at age 28 was affected by polio and was paralyzed from the neck down. Initially given only three months to live, Cavendish, with the help of his ever-loving wife Diana, defied the odds to become one of the longest-living polio survivors in Britain. As Robin and his wife worked to improve the quality of his life; they also advocated for the improved conditions of the disabled people. This included traveling to different places worldwide, speaking to healthcare experts about his condition, and developing devices to ease the everyday living of the disabled.
Breathe: A Son’s Love Letter to His Parents
Produced by the Cavendish’s own son Jonathan as a love letter to his parents, “Breathe” marks Andy Serkis’ debut as director. And although he previously provided assistance to Peter Jackson on the ‘Hobbit’ films, “Breathe” shows Serkis with a steady hand. Here, he deftly explores the mundane everyday life of a man whose paralysis couldn’t contain his optimistic perspective in life.
As a man with a cheerful outlook despite his paralysis, Cavendish initially wished to die and Diana to start anew. The wife, on the other hand, wouldn’t have any of it. Instead, she doubles down on showing the man how much he meant to her and their son Jonathan. “Breathe” explores a disabled person’s constant dependence on other people; and here it never strays from that aspect of the relationship, showing Cavendish depending on his wife for basically everything. For all the mundaneness of their life, it was that strong love that allowed the family to keep on. And as they do it, they’re also continuing to shed light on the other disabled, too.
Finally, the performances are top-notch. Garfield brings along a reliable committed turn as a polio survivor with an effervescent lust for life. But ultimately, it is Foy’s work here that is the most touching and poignant. Evoking a younger Helena Bonham Carter and Kate Winslet combined, Foy’s portrayal of the devoted Diana Cavendish stands alongside Jennifer Connelly’s Alicia Nash and Felicity Jones’s Jane Hawking.
Bolstered by terrific performances by its two leads, “Breathe” is a moving film that examines the effects of a debilitating illness to the afflicted and their families, as well as the physical and emotional strains that come with it. This is a heartwarming biopic that is both touching and insightful.
