As you might’ve noticed, we’ve already got our crystal ball on the Oscars, and one movie worth keeping on your radar is “Breathe.” The film marks the directorial debut of mo-cap king Andy Serkis, but it’s unlikely you’ll find many digital effects in this intimate drama.
Led by Andrew Garfield, with “The Crown” star Claire Foy at his side, the true story follows a man stricken with polio, who overcomes his disease to find romance and live life to the fullest. Here’s the official synopsis:
For his directorial debut, Andy Serkis brings to life the inspiring true love story between Robin and Diana Cavendish (Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy), an adventurous couple who refuse to give up in the face of a devastating disease. When Robin is struck down by polio at the age of 28, he is confined to a hospital bed and given only a few months to live. With the help of Diana’s twin brothers (Tom Hollander) and the groundbreaking ideas of inventor Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville), Robin and Diana dare to escape the hospital ward to seek out a full and passionate life together — raising their young son, traveling and devoting their lives to helping other polio patients. Written by two-time Academy Award nominated writer William Nicholson, and shot by three-time Academy Award winner Robert Richardson, BREATHE is a heartwarming celebration of love and human possibility.
Co-starring Hugh Bonneville and Tom Hollander, “Breathe” opens on October 13th in the U.S. and October 27th in the U.K. It’s also just been announced that it’ll receive its European premiere as the opener of the 2017 BFI London Film Festival (meaning a Telluride, Venice or TIFF bow beforehand is a certainty too).