BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

bettycjung 6/12/18. A truly inspirational movie about a man who lived longer than expected, against overwhelming odds because his wife just wouldn't let him give up. This says something about how the love of a good woman can go a long way in making life worth living. Every man should be so lucky to find such a faithful and loving wife. Garfield and Foy were just wonderful in this true story of a man inflicted with polio and could not live without a respirator.

Neil Welch Newlyweds Robin and Diana Cavendish are entering a happy family life when Robin is suddenly struck by polio and left paralysed from the neck down, dependent on a ventilator to breathe. The medical profession regard their job as ending at preventing him from dying. Robin is not interested in existing on that basis, but Diana wants him to see their son grow up and so a plot is hatched to create a mobile ventilator and, against all medical advice, remove him from hospital and take him home. Robin not only enjoys a full life, but becomes a forceful and active advocate on behalf of emancipating the profoundly handicapped from imprisonment in hospital.This adaptation of Robin and Diana Cavendish's life story is (co-)produced by their son Andrew, and directed by Andy Serkis, better known for his motion-capture performances as Gollum, King Kong, and chimpanzee Caesar. On the basis of this film, he is an accomplished director.This is not a naturally happy subject - the central character is paralysed for life early on - but it is thoroughly engaging in the telling, profoundly uplifting and inspirational, and often surprisingly funny.It is helped enormously by Andrew Garfield as Robin (Claire Foy as Diana is also very good, although the role is pretty thankless). The depths of his despair are not shied away from, but the Robin portrayed in this film is a funny, happy man who almost glows with joy. Far from being simply not dead, and notwithstanding his total reliance on machinery and his support team of family and friends, the Robin Cavendish portrayed in this film truly Lives.This is that rarity, a worthy film which is also enormously entertaining and emotional.

V J An inspirational story about Robert Cavendish who became ill with polio in 1958 at the age of 28. His life could have been so very different without the support of his wife of 2 years, Diana, without the desire to live to see his son, Jonathan, grow up, and without the genius of Professor Teddy Hall of Oxford University who devised the contraptions which gave Robert, who was quadraplegic, some kind of life. Certainly, back in the 60s, those like Robert were spending what few years they had left flat on their backs in hospitals, on ventilators, no more than prisoners of institutions and their own bodies. Much is said about Cavendish's pioneering approach to survival, his fortitude and willingness to do and maybe die, but I would like to have seen a little more focus on Teddy Hall because without that man's ingenuity, Robert Cavendish and thousands of people in the same or similar situation back then might have led very different existences. This is directorial debut of Andy Serkis and he is to be congratulated for it. He has another in the pipeline, Mowgli, a version of Jungle Book following closely on the heels of Jungle Book (2016). The casting of Breathe was superb and I was seriously impressed by Andrew Garfield's performance. Loved Hugh Bonneville as Teddy Hall. The story is loaded with emotional scenes which range from highly hilarious to downright sad. It might be a bit of a tear-jerker at times but it is very much worth watching at least once, or twice. Interestingly, I read an article which said that Professor Christopher Cooper of the University of California believes Stephen Hawking had polio rather than motor neuron disease.

Alexander_Blanchett A very good drama based on a true story about the life of a young man who suffers from polio and how that affects and even strengthens his relationship with his wife. Andy Serkis' directional debut feels like he has been doing it his whole life. A very well structured and composed film. He perfectly uses his two leading actors Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy. Especially Garfield turns into a brilliant performance that reminded me on a young Tom Hanks. Once again a great job. Also Foy shines and gives the film the right heart and soul. The look is great, the music is wonderful. Sometimes the film suffered from several lengths but I did not mind it. The ending is more than heartbreaking and really got directly into the heart. I wonder why this film did not receive more attention last year. Sure it feels like your annual Oscar begging film about disability and that might be right, but its also a good film in general that really contains noteworthy performances. Nice job Andy Serkis, looking forward to your future efforts.