By Joe Farkus, NDG Contributing Writer
Anyone who walks into the Andy Serkis-directed film Breathe this fall expecting your standard love story will not have their expectations met but rather exceeded. Breathe tells the remarkably true story of Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) who falls in love with the strong-willed Diana (Claire Foy) and by the age of 28 is stricken with the paralyzing polio virus. Given only a few months to live and having given up on life all together, it is his wife Diana who pushes him to choose life over death and to inspire those around him to do the same.
Produced by Cavendish’s son Jonathan (who is played by a variety of young actors depicting him as he is growing up), it’s obvious from the outset that keeping to the truth of Robin’s incredible story was an essential component of making this film. It covers a wide-range of emotionally-stirring scenarios and situations, informing viewers with little knowledge of what life with a paralyzing disability can be like how enormously frustrating and challenging it can be – especially back before much of modern medicine and technology arrived.
While Garfield’s portrayal of Cavendish is strong and occasionally riveting, it’s Foy’s depiction of the courageous and stubborn Diana that steals the spotlight in this film. She’s able to delve into the tender moments as smoothly as the moments of anger and frustration, keeping the character round and dynamic right up to the very end. Tom Hollander’s performance as Diana’s twin brothers Bloggs and David provides the appropriate amount of levity and humor in a film full of such serious content.
What Breathe accomplishes so effectively is painting a cinematically stirring portrait of both the early rush of young love and the determined, sacrificial commitment true love requires as time rolls on and life becomes difficult. It is this root in realism that allows the film to avoid the always tempting turn into sappy sentimentality. By displaying a perfect balance of purely joyous and deeply depressing moments, Breathe allows its audience to experience the plethora of emotions its characters do. It is a truly unique film and one that is truly worth the emotional journey.
Breathe opens in select Dallas theaters Friday, Oct. 20.
