2. The Impossible Henry Bennett
The Impossible, directed by Juan Antonia Buyona, depicts the real life tragedy of the 2004 tsunami through the eyes of Maria Belon and her family and the struggles they endured throughout the disaster. For the purposes of the film, the names of the characters were changed but the Belon family were there on set, allowing them to converse with the actors, providing a 1st hand account of the emotions, movements and thought processes that each scene in the movie depicts, adding an added dimension of realism. McGregor plays family man Henry Bennett, who alongside his wife, played by Naomi Watts, are taking a vacation with their sons when disaster strikes and tsunami change the course of their lives forever. This strangely is McGregors first role as a father figure, allowing for a differing style that hasnt been seen from him before. He conveys compassion and feeling brilliantly and portrays the human conflicts that any of us would experience with incredible realism. One particular scene in which McGregor is taking a phone call is particularly striking and watching a man break down in fear and anguish was incredibly powerful and once again confirmed the range of emotive talent that McGregor possesses.