30 October 2017 Second Film of Choice at The Plaza Dorchester Tonight - Breathe. Starring the very talented Andrew Garfield this is the true story of Robin Cavendish who contracted polio in Africa in 1958. Paralysed from the neck down and only remaining alive because he was attached to a respirator he fell into a depression and wished to be allowed to die. With the aid of his wife Diana (played by Claire Foy) who absolutely refused to give up on him, he left the hospital and managed to live a life which enabled him to be at home with his family and watch his son grow up. Not content to stay at home he enlisted the help of a talented inventor friend (Hugh Bonneville) to help him become more mobile and this enabled him to travel and to show other polio patients that there could be life outside their hospital beds. Films based on true stories are almost always touching and emotional and this was no exception. An absolutely astounding piece of acting from Andrew Garfield, who for 80% of the film could only give us the character of Robin by moving his eyes, eyebrows, nose and mouth, yet he portrayed this character with sensitivity and compassion without coming across as too sentimental. Andy Serkis made his directorial debut on this film , and it was co produced by Jonathan Cavendish, son of Robin and Diana.
Review of Breathe
