Breathe

CinemaSerf7/10

Oct 27, 2024

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This is a delightfully photographed depiction of the life of pioneering Simon Cavendish (Andrew Garfield), afflicted with chronically debilitating polio in his late twenties, who spent much of his life striving, with his wife Diana (Claire Foy) to help develop and improve the facilities for the disabled. It was produced by their son Jonathan, so there is a certain - admittedly rose-tinted - authenticity about their struggle; their dedication to each other (and to him) and their determination to beat the odds - and it is a compelling feature to watch with good performances from the leading pair. The characterisations are not the most substantial, we sort of race through their lives without really getting to know either of them, and that's a shame - I could have done with just a bit more passion, anger, frustration - all of which must have reared their heads as the couple faced the challenges in an environment far removed from the modern-day appliance-driven society that we take very much for granted forty years later. A good ensemble cast - Ed Speleers, Stephen Mangen, Tom Hollander and a tiny cameo from Dame Diana Rigg along with some typically detailed craft efforts and a gently paced score from Nitin Sawhney all help to give this a poignancy that. though at times hard to watch, delivers a strong message of compassion, determination, a generosity of spirit and ultimately a question of choices that I rather enjoyed.