Breathe should slow down to let viewers catch their breath, but Andrew Garfield will still break your heart [Review]
Director Jonathan Cavendish pays tribute to his paralysed father and his parents’ exceptional love in the tear-inducing film Breathe
After contracting polio, Robin Cavendish is confined to a bed and given only months to live.Director Jonathan Cavendish pays tribute to his paralysed father and his parents’ exceptional love in the tear-inducing film Breathe.
The romantic drama begins with the encounter between Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) and Diana (Claire Foy). Following Cavendish’s polio infection, he suffers lifelong paralysis, and is desperate to end his life confined to the hospital bed.
The married couple then takes the risk of bringing Cavendish home, against the doctor’s orders, after Diana persuades her husband to live on for her and their son.
On top of the endearing love story between Cavendish and his wife, another part of the movie touches on how Cavendish and his Oxford professor friend Teddy realised, improved, and advocated respiratory chairs to improve the quality of life for paralysed people.
Breathe also shows that caring for a person’s mental health is as, if not more, important as fixing their physical health.
Unfortunately, the story felt a bit rushed and the background music was a little too dramatic at times, taking away from the heart and soul of the plot.
But despite minor flaws, Breathe remains a meaningful and inspiring story for everyone. Don’t forget to bring several packs of tissue to the cinema with you.
You’ll need them.
Edited by Nicole Moraleda