User reviews

Breathe is an inspiring and heartwarming story about a man diagnosed with the disease that forever changed his life and the lives of people around him. It is impossible to imagine being trapped in your own body and still somehow stay positive, motivated and change the lives of the people who are equally unfortunate..

Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield did a great job, as well as the supporting cast. The film could maybe have a bigger emotional impact and leave viewers with a bit more after watching it. Breathe is still a solid film with nice photography, pace and the story itself.

Recommended to everyone who like drama film, love stories and films about the triumph of the human spirit.

English isn't my native language, so forgive me in advance:)

I loved this movie. I was impressed by the acting skills of Andrew Garfield, totally believable. Claire Foy did a great job too, I think she's a very good actress, I have to admit that at times I found it difficult to not see Queen Elisabeth in her.

The story line was a bit rushed though, their relationship didn't really develop on the screen and for me it was hard to believe she really loved him in the very beginning of the film. But towards the end it was totally believable. One thing I missed was a great score, the music was almost absent, they should have asked Rachel Portman for the soundtrack (Never Let Me Go). But hey, that's just my opinion.

I shed some tears at the end.. It's a story about true love! Go watch it, you won't regret it!

This is a beautifully filmed movie. It's inspiring to watch the devotion of the wife in supporting her husband struck down with polio at age 28. His subsequent efforts to live outside the hospital and advances in a wheelchair with a ventilator attached are quite illuminating. Especially with what happened to Christopher Reeve it is still relevant today. This movie doesn't focus too much on the awful side which is good or it would be too depressing.

The leads are watchable. Claire Foy QE2 of the Crown speaks and acts a lot like she does as Queen Elizabeth. Andrew Garfield isn't one to shy away from difficult roles. Here he speaks with his British accent.

It's a good thing to be reminded about Polio amidst the recent debate whether or no to vaccinate.

The story of Robin Cavendish, paralysed by polio as a young man, deserves to be told.

The cinematography in Africa, Spain and England is stunning, and the costumes and sets are perfectly portrayed - from the 1950s to the 1990s You get the sense of how amazingly brave Robin's wife, Diana Cavendish, was.

With a baby, stuck in Kenya and a husband suddenly a quadriplegic and breathing on a ventilator, instead of collapsing, she pushed for Robin to be repatriated to England and released from hospital into her care at home.

The couple proceed to smash expectations of Robin's quality of life, holding parties, taking overseas holidays, and campaigning to change prejudices and improve the lives of the severely disabled, who up till then had been shut away, out of view, and treated as vegetables.

The acting is great and the script bubbles along well. Diana's eccentric twin brothers provide comic relief.

One of the quibbles I have is, how did Robin afford to apparently live in such comfort, and to travel so much?

It's hinted, but not really explained, that his family is well-off and well connected.

The flip side is that you wonder about how poor people in Robin's position cope.

Not saying he had it easy, but he was lucky to have access to more comforts and options than most.

Also, the movie, produced by Robin's son Jonathan, I think tries to be perhaps too jokey at times - in the vein of The Durrells.

Maybe that was necessary, because Cavendish's life was so bleak a lot of the time.

Saw this film last night without reading any previously written reviews, and I thought it absolutely outstanding. The devotion that Robin and Diana had for each other, encountering such a life altering event only one year into a marriage would likely destroy most marriages. Addressing the ignorance and lack of empathy from the medical community must have been a real slog, and it is to their credit that such amazing inroads were made to better the lives of polio victims and other disabled persons. While the world has become a better place for those "outside the norm", there is still so much yet to be done. The cast and Jonathan Cavendish should win all the BAFTAs and Oscars possible. This film gave me hope that we can all be better than we are.

This film has a simple, yet heartfelt message: choosing to live life.

It could've easily been a film to completely sweep up during awards season, but ultimately falls short. It's good, albeit emotionally manipulative and lacking "something".

It's not lacking strong performances though, with Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield delivering some of their best work. At first, it felt a bit slow and seemingly lacked much character development. But I'm glad I persisted with it, as it definitely picked up and was a rewarding experience in the end.

While polio has changed since those times, it's clear the health authorities reluctance to think outside the box in regards to treatment of certain illnesses hasn't.

I loved seeing what Robin Cavendish did for people with disabilities (including his mates in hospital depicted here). The "mishap" in Spain which turned into a party was great also - had to admire his relaxed, "so be it" relaxed manner towards catastrophically stressful situations.

I'd recommend it for Andrew Garfield fans and those wanting to watch a "different" kind of romance film.

Not perfect but pretty damn close to perfection .

I've said it before the best films are based on real events . Andy Garfield deserves the best actor Oscar . This one will make you laugh , cry and smile .

One man's fight for survival against the odds with the loving support of his wife and son who incidentally produced the film .

Excellent casting , acting and directing by Serkis . Beautiful photography a film that ought to be depressing was actually somewhat uplifting and you'll want to see it again and look up the real story .

A British cinematic masterpiece worthy of an Oscar nomination.

Pad.A 9/10

I know this is supposed to be a heartwarming and inspirational film about overcoming adversity. But enough of the romanticizing of polio. In the glorious Kenyan sunset.

It was well told, it was effective. It was an important story about shaking up the treatment of people with disability.

But I could barely breathe as I think about people who are rejecting science and technology today.

Vaccinate your kids.

If I may give an advice to you, don't read anything about this film. Just watch it: the less you know, the more you'll be wonderfully surprised.

Perhaps all you'd like to know is that it's a British top-notch production, based on a really interesting (true) story, with a flawless script and an excellent cast. A very entertaining 112 minutes.

And yes: Tom Hollander is playing the Blacker twins. Both of them. And they sing together 'Goodbye-ee'.

Enjoy.

A truly remarkable story, well scripted and performed, is based on the life of Robin and Diana Cavendish and produced by their son, Jonathan. Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield lead a great supporting cast. Great themes about life, death, love, faithfulness, the courage it takes to live and the tenacity of love that pushes the boundaries of courage and creativity. I heartily recommend it to you. I give this film an 8 (great) out of 10. {Drama}

Interesting movie - another movie based on a true story Andrew Garfield gives a great performance as Andrew Cavendish a polio victim who would rather die than exist in an iron lung so commissions his friend to invent a wheelchair with a respirator, which changes the lives of millions of polio sufferers as handicapped people.

A love story also with Claire Foy playing his devoted wife Diana , a little contrived and over saccharine at times but very entertaining.

Odd music soundtrack it seemed as though they couldn't afford an original composer.

One of my favorite actors and one of my favorite actresses, together, in love, lasting love that outdistances tragedy. What could go wrong? Why am I just tired, and feeling guilty that I was not inspired. I do not know. There was just something about the entire movie that said, "look-we-are-perfectly-healthy-people-pretending-that-paralysis-is-no-big-thing-because-love." And I said, inside myself, no dice.

Breathing is the most natural thing on earth, right? But when British tea broker Robin Cavendish contracted polio in Kenya in 1958, he found that he was paralysed from the neck down and could not breathe without the constant support of a mechanical ventilator. This true story is told with Andrew Garfield as Robin and Claire Foy as his wife Diana, both of whom give fine performances of nuanced emotion.

Inevitably the film will be compared with "The Theory Of Everything" but it is no bad thing to be reminded that people with disabilities can achieve remarkable things. In Stephen Hawking's case, he was still able to make great contributions to theoretical physics; in the instance of Robin Cavendish, he transformed the treatment of those with paralysis, both in the UK and much wider.

For first time director Andy Serkis, this is clearly a very personal project. His professional partner and producer on the film is Jonathan Cavendish, the son of Robin and Diana, while Serkis's sister has multiple sclerosis. Serkis is known for his acclaimed acting in performance-capture roles, but the only major use of special effects here is to enable Tom Hollander to represent both of Diana's identical twin brothers.

At the end especially, the heart strings are well and truly plucked, but it is gratifying to see such a well-made and life-affirming work on our screens.

The winner of the 2017 Heavy-Duty Tissues Award can now be announced. The beautifully produced British film Breathe (2017) is an inspirational bio-pic based on the short life of Robin Cavendish who was the longest survivor of polio in the pre-vaccination era. That description does little to prepare viewers for what is a multi-layered period drama, with themes about assisted dying, disability rights, medical innovation, personal triumph over adversity, and the all-conquering power of a woman's love. Amongst all of this are several good cries.

Set in the 1950s, Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield), a dashing young tea-broker, met the love of his life Diana (Claire Foy) at a cricket game. Before long, they are courting, married, and set for an idyllic yet modest life together until Robin is struck down by the paralysis of polio. At the time, the only prognosis was a short life tied to a hospital respirator. For the active Robin death was preferable to being tethered to an artificial lung, but Diana would have none of it. Close friend and inventor Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville) pioneered a wheel-chair with a battery powered respirator that freed Robin from a life inside hospital, despite advice that he would not survive outside for more than two weeks. The story traces their adventurous lives together, including a trip to Africa and a disability conference in Germany. Perhaps the film's most disturbing image is a German hospital where polio victims are laid out in morgue-like boxes, kept alive only by mechanical respirators.

It is impossible to imagine this film being bearable without Andrew Garfield's extraordinary performance, supported by Claire Foy in the equally demanding role of his wife. Garfield possesses one of cinema's most expressive faces which he deploys to full effect as the mostly prostrated polio patient who can only speak a short sentence at a time between breaths. From the depths of wanting to die to the joyful heights of feeling his baby son's skin against his face, Garfield communicates in a facial sign language that says more than the words of fine orators. Some viewers will fairly believe that Claire Foy is the film's real star. Where Garfield is an emotional roller coaster, Foy is a powerhouse of defiant strength who refuses to surrender to polio or to her husband's wish to die. If the film can be faulted, it may be in its polite sanitisation of what it means to depend on others for every bodily function.

This story is more about unconditional love than heroism. Robin was surrounded by caring and talented friends, including the inventor of the respirator wheelchair that gave him freedom. Most importantly, he had a wife whose stubborn loyalty forced him to push on where others may have given up. Robin became a high-profile disability spokesman because fate gave him the opportunity to advocate for others. This warm-hearted story illuminates a little-known episode of history that has been consigned to the archives of medical science. Take extra tissues, but you will leave feeling inspired.

An interesting movie - another movie based on a true story Andrew Garfield gives a great performance as Andrew Cavendish a polio victim who would rather die than exist in an iron lung so commissions his friend to invent a wheelchair with a respirator, which changes the lives of millions of polio sufferers as handicapped people.

A love story also with Claire Foy playing his devoted wife Diana , a little contrived and over saccharine at times but very entertaining.

Odd music soundtrack with songs that made it seem as though they couldn't afford an original composer.

This is a true story about a couple who loved each other in the way we often only see in movies or fairytales. A man who is destined to die in polio is living on and changing lives for others with similar conditions thanks to a woman who refused to see him give up on his life. This is a love story more than an actual retelling of their lives I think. If it's really how it was she is among the most loving humans I have seen or heard of, she's a saint. That's a refreshing thougt in these days. It was probably a lot harder in real life for the family than the movie is showing. But I think it's ok not too go to deep in to the gritty details in this case. In the end it's a great movie about a couple who refused to accept what everyone said and made a change not only for themself but for many, many more people to come.

A true rendition of the circumstances and ignorant assumptions/roadblocks against which the disabled community are constantly fighting.

The main characters fight diligently past public opinion to break precedent in unbelievable ways (given the time period and technological restrictions).

No Spoilers. Highly recommended.

Had the privilege to see this film at the San Diego filled festival before premieres in theaters. Was very impressed and emotionally moved very early on in the film. Well not quite on the level of ' The theory of everything', movie will definitely tell that your heartstrings and have you crying pretty quickly. Myself being disabled, especially struck a chord for me to see how things used to be for people with disabilities and made me thankful that I was born when I was in that things have progressed so well in the last century. Andrew Garfield gave him moving performance it as robin Cavendish. He better get his Oscar speech ready. I also really enjoyed some aspects of the film that are not addressed another disability films, namely the relationship between the disabled and their children. This film does so it was really devastate you when you get to see that Robin wasn't really able to be there physically as a father to his son another power house is claire foy.plays Robbins wife who is the one who advocates for him and inspires him to keep going. This film also previews you to the horrors disabled people had to live through before Robin and Diane became advocates. While the ending of this film is not as uplifting as 'the theory of everything', for some reason that movie devastates me much more than this one did. I wonder if that had anything to do with who was in charge of the film. This phone was produced by the couple's son Jonathan, who basically made a love letter to his parents. You won't see the trials and tribulations of being disabled as much here, just a beautiful love story between two people. Highly recommend it.

ETA: now that critical reviews of this film have come out, I am highly insulted that critics wanted to see more of robin's struggles than triumphs. i never believed the term 'inspiration porn' but i do now. it disgusts me that people wanted to see the grittier side of robin's illness. our health problems are not for you to exploit. i feel just enough was shown to get the point.

Of all today's famous screen actors, Andy Serkis is one of the most unique ones. Meaning that he's widely known for not "usual" roles but those based on motion capture - Gollum in Tolkien universe, Caesar the smart ape in "Planet of the Apes" franchise.

The technology wizards record his movements, create a digital body on top of that but also make a strong use of the man's facial movements and gestures, so the resulting creature would look like lovely yet kind of creepy combination of human and alien.

But Serkis seems to have aspirations behind the camera as well. "Breathe" is his directing debut, and there's another one already coming, newest adaptation of "Mowgli" in October.

Serkis is not all about action and sci-fi, "Breathe" is based on actual events and has this pleasant old-fashioned look and feel that makes it a promising date movie, and instantly attractive for the little girl living inside every one of us.

Based on promotional materials, it looks like a love story, which it is for the first ten minutes or so. Then it turns into an inspirational movie and stays that way. Which brings, sadly, emotionally limp results as my score of 5/10 has already hinted.

Plot summary found on IMDB gives a perfect example of what exactly the movie is prepared to offer: "The inspiring true love story of Robin and Diana Cavendish, an adventurous couple who refuse to give up in the face of a devastating disease. Their heartwarming celebration of human possibility..." The couple is played by Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy, sadly the "adventurous" is not saying anything about their sex life.

Serkis seems to be a fan of valuing how things look on screen and not if they have any real depth to speak of.

His famous performances mentioned above are a good example how the "one-note but pretty" approach can bring awesome results - because the computer-generated images look good and there's also a lot more going on in those movies.

"Breathe" looks beautiful, but doesn't have any other strengths to support the weak storytelling. There's no depth nor any real development to those relationships and characters that we see on screen.

Everybody and everything here is so black and white that it's impossible to relate in an authentic way.

It hurts the main character the most. Why exactly are we supposed to find him inspirational as the other characters like to hint at, especially near the end? What kind of relationship does he actually have with his wife, son, friends? We don't see anything explaining that.

A long life by itself should not be equalled to good or meaningful one, just as a long marriage by itself is not a sure sign of happy marriage. Clinging to life in the face of adversities is not exactly inspirational, it's something of a basic human instinct, although not everybody in the world has a strong inner contact with it.

There's a recent, similar movie "The Theory of Everything" where they at least try to show, why and how the paralysed hero (Stephen Hawking played by Eddie Redmayne) is inspirational to all the others. In "Breathe", they only tell us so, passingly but repeatedly.

It's important to add that the movie was produced by real-life Cavendish's son, who co-owns the film company with Serkis.

I am quite OK with simplistic stories painted with thick colors - there's nothing wrong with good Hollywood melodrama - but "Breathe" is in dire need of something that would really count as inspirational (well, other than the producers' promise, of course).

The greatest cretive success in the movie comes probably as a result of hiring Andrew Garfield as the leading man. He has a suitable physicality and presence for such a role - boyish good looks coupled with a touch of almost child- or animal-like innocence.

This made him great also in Mel Gibson's war drama "Hacksaw Ridge". Too bad the material allows him to express his acting range here mostly by smiling, be it sad or happy smile.

"Breathe" is a mediocre drama suitable for those who can't get enough of sad stories no matter how well they are told. For everybody else, it's an example of what happens when somebody has tried to do something specifically "suitable" for award season.

The Oscar nominations are not announced yet but I hope "Breathe" has the same zero-level success as with all the other movie awards so far. It's close to two quite long hours of sweet nothing.

For wishing to end with a positive note, I want to say that Serkis has absolutely succeeded in making a feel-good movie about being almost completely paralysed. And there's one truly remarkable, bizarre-looking scene depicting the main hero entering a room chock-full of other similar patients. But that's about all.