LOVE letter
‘Breathe’ a son’s rosy recollection of parents
Think of “Breathe” as a love letter from a son to his parents. • In this case, the son is Jonathan Cavendish, the film’s producer, who spent a decade bringing the project to light. His parents, Robin and Diana Cavendish, are the subjects of the movie. • Like a lot of love letters, the sentiment may run high in spots. But it also feels undeniably heartfelt and warm, with a particularly engaging turn by Andrew Garfield as Robin.
We first meet Robin in the ‘50s. He is a charming young Brit with a posh accent who looks dashing in his cricket whites. He falls quickly for Diana (Claire Foy from “The Crown”), a lovely society woman with her pick of suitors. A whirlwind courtship ensues, and the two quickly marry. Actor Andy Serkis, making his directorial debut, imbues these scenes with an almost magical air. The film practically bursts with vibrant colors and the musical score is thick and dreamy, like what you’d find on an old Jackie Gleason mood music album. Even Garfield’s performance is pitched at this level — his personality is so light and effervescent, he practically floats.
Freshly married and with Diana expecting, the two are traveling in Kenya when Robin is stricken with polio. It appears dire: He winds up paralyzed from the neck down and requires a respirator to breathe. Doctors give him a grim prognosis, and Robin wants to die. Diana, stiff upper lip and all, will have none of that nonsense.
He eventually returns home, against doctor’s orders. You can sense the risk: He’s in a big, drafty house. He’s got a young son toddling about. There’s even a dog scampering around, yanking the cord to Robin’s respirator out of the wall in one particularly harrowing scene. But the couple persists, with little complaint. The movie really buys into the concept of cheerful British resiliency.
Thanks to the devotion of Teddy (Hugh Bonneville), a friend who is an inventor, Robin gets a wheelchair with a respirator that allows him to travel. A jaunt to Spain could turn deadly when the machine breaks. Instead, the moment turns into one of whimsy, as a roadside party breaks out, with flamenco music, clergy and dancing. As outlandish as it sounds, you believe it: Because you buy the characters, and because it’s a son’s recollection of an event that happened when he was a child. It has that heightened, romantic feeling common to memories — and dreams.
Although the movie isn’t afraid to venture into darker emotional territory — a sequence set in a German hospital is almost unnerving — it generally maintains its light mood. The couple visits a wealthy woman to ask for money to supply other patients with wheelchairs. “Are we plucky or pitiful?” Diana asks Robin, prepping for the meeting. That lightness also means some of the rough edges are sanded away; this is a son’s rosy view of his parents, after all.
The two stars are both terrific. Foy projects a steely will beneath the surface, and you understand how she didn’t give up on her husband. Garfield is a marvel as an exceptional man who winds up having more substance than you initially may suspect. Physically, the actor does interesting things: Notice how Robin’s face becomes more expressive as the film progresses, because he now relies entirely on that to project what he’s feeling.
His performance — unsentimental yet endearing — drives the film. “Breathe” is a valentine, but it’s a valentine that is quite moving.