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BREATHE (2017)
Breathe poster

CAST
CLAIRE FOY
ANDREW GARFIELD
HUGH BONNEVILLE
TOM HOLLANDER
BEN LLOYD-HUGHES
STEPHEN MANGAN
AMIT SHAH
ED SPELEERS
DAVID WILMOT

WRITTEN BY
WILLIAM NICHOLSON

PRODUCED BY
JONATHAN CAVENDISH

DIRECTED BY
ANDY SERKIS

GENRE
BIOGRAPHY
DRAMA

RATED
AUS:M
UK:12A
USA:PG-13

RUNNING TIME
117 MIN

Breathe image

Although it doesn’t quite match the quality of other films with similar subject matter, Breathe takes its own place in the pantheon thanks to director Andy Serkis’ unconventional approach to the material.

When watching the opening scene of Breathe, it is clear that Serkis wants to do things a little differently. With a playful score (Nitin Sawhney) and sprawling scenery filling the screen, the first minutes of Breathe feel more like a light-hearted adventure movie than a stirring biopic of a timeless advocate for the disabled.

Then again, that just may be the point. In the journey of the man that was Robin Cavendish, adventure and daring was always part and parcel of his life. A charismatic personality and avid sportsman, Cavendish was the kind of guy that men wanted to be and women wanted to be with. A Brit who established himself in Kenya as an exporter of fine teas, Cavendish’s successful career was matched by the marriage to his ever-loving wife Diana (Claire Foy). Robin’s life was sure to be a successful and fruitful one.

Then at the age of 28, Robin was struck down with polio and paralysed from the neck down. Robin wanted to die. Diana urged him to live, and live he did. While his body was rendered useless, Robin’s mind and indeed his spirit were never more vital. He defied the medical establishment and indeed society by proving that the disabled are not to be shamed, shunned or segregated. They too are an important and cherished part of our society.

It's a great story, sure to make a great movie. Yet after living in the afterglow of similar themed films such as The Theory of Everything, The Sessions and The Intouchables, it begs to question just what can Breathe represent to make it stand apart from other films of its ilk?

The answer is quite a bit, actually. As directed by Serkis (his debut), Breathe tries its best not to go the conventional route, as it is itself a very unconventional story, where the limitations placed upon an adventurous spirit are smashed with every ground-breaking adventure and invention that Cavendish orchestrated. For example, the creation of a wheelchair with a built-in respirator.

Serkis tries his best to have Breathe not be a gallery of Oscar reel moments, but more a chronicle of how a life with disabilities was once lived, and through the efforts of Cavendish and others, how that once restricted life would be forever changed. This works until that Oscar reel moment is called for, and it just doesn’t quite hit the mark, rendering Breathe a fascinating and engrossing story, yet not so much an emotionally gripping one.

The performances are a mixed bad. Garfield delivers another knock out turn, depicting the physical limitations and stirring spirit that Cavendish had in spades. Foy is equally strong as the lifeline and rock that in many ways kept Robin alive, independent, and fighting for others to do the same. Supporting performances are not as strong, with Tom Hollander’s VFX assisted turn as twins Bloggs and David Blacker (brothers of Diana) particularly bunglesome, Thompson’s two portrayals out of synch and distracting. Thankfully, Garfield and Foy have the majority of the screen time, and share an undeniable chemistry that makes their portrayal of this partnership work so well.

There is a lot to like with Breathe. While Serkis’ debut is filled with faults that an experienced hand might not hand succumbed to, there is no denying his passion for Cavendish’s story and his ability to bring forth great performances from his leads. A strong debut to be sure, but no way near a strong contender this awards season as some thought it could be.

***1/2


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