Breathe, 2017.
Directed by Andy Serkis.
Starring Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Tom Hollander,and Hugh Bonneville.
SYNOPSIS:
The inspiring true love story of Robin and Diana Cavendish, an adventurous couple who refuse to give up in the face of a devastating disease. Their heartwarming celebration of human possibility marks the directorial debut of Andy Serkis.
Andy Serkis is the latest actor to step into the director’s chair with his debut film Breathe, starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy in this biopic about Robin Cavendish, a disabled man who, with the help of his wife Diana, advocates better treatment of the severely disabled. It’s at times a slow film, but the strong performances from Garfield and Foy as well as the script and Serkis’ direction help carry the film.
Breathe begins shortly before Garfield’s Robin contracts polio, just at the time of his life when he met and wed his wife Diana, played by Foy. The pair have great chemistry with each other from the start and Garfield comes across as a very likeable, almost dorky fellow in the first act.
However, this is where the film is the slowest. It doesn’t move along very fast in this section, even after Robin is first stricken with polio. Not much happens until the point where they discover Robin’s condition because, as slow as the film is in the first act, it ironically speeds through much of Robin and Diana’s courtship and wedding to get to the main thrust of the movie. As said, though, the performances from Garfield and Foy, and the fact it sets up one of the film’s main themes about living, at least help draw the audience into the story in the first act.
The film does get much better after that, moving along at a brisk pace as it examines the huge change to Robin and Diana’s lives after he’s paralyzed. Garfield shows the pain Robin goes through very well, considering so much of the role is through the few facial expressions Garfield has to use. The real star that begins to shine here though is Claire Foy, who really delivers the hurt and compassion Diana is feeling for her husband. It’s actually hard to tell who the film belongs to performance-wise as both leads are emotional and strong.
Despite that first act slump, Serkis shows that he’s a capable director, knowing which actor to focus on in a scene. He uses a lot of close-ups on the cast, particularly on Garfield for obvious reasons, but knows when to pull back with the larger groups. He also has a nice balance between the comedic and dramatic moments, switching between them with ease.
This is also where Breathe shines the most: despite suffering through tremendous physical trauma, the film is rather uplifting thanks to the work the Cavendishs’ did and the love shared between the real life Robin and Diana. Garfield and Foy portray them very well, making the connection between them believable as well as emotional. It’s a very good first outing for Serkis as a director backed up by his whole cast.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Ricky Church
Originally published September 13, 2017. Updated April 17, 2018.
