#TIFF17: “BREATHE”

Review by Siobhán Rich for Mr. Will Wong

Following in the tradition of other Oscar hopefuls, motion-capture pioneer Andy Serkis brings his directorial debut to TIFF. Written by Oscar-nominated Screenwriter William Nicholson, Breathe, tells the true story of a man stricken with Polio and a woman who refuses to lose hope.

While in Kenya, Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) became paralyzed from the neck down after contracting Polio. When he and his pregnant wife Diana return to England they are faced with a lifetime spent in cold, restrictive hospitals. Unwilling to accept the doctors’ dire prognosis, Robin and Diana decide to move home so he can be with his family. With the help of his friend Teddy (Hugh Bonneville), Robin is able to escape the prison of his bed through a wheelchair with a built-in respirator.

Although Breathe is about Robin, the Movie truly belongs to the remarkable Claire Foy who portrays Diana as more than a naïve girl in love but rather a woman with strong beliefs who is not prepared to give-up. Strong performances overcome Nitin Sawhney’s dreadful Score are sure to help drive the Festival popularity of this by-the-numbers Biography.

Elevation Pictures will screen Breathe at TIFF ’17 at the following times:

Monday, September 11 6:00 p.m. Roy Thomson Hall
Tuesday, September 12 10:00 a.m. Winter Garden Theatre