Have a lot of fondness for films based on true stories and real people. Especially the inspiring ones, where the characters in question have to overcome a lot of adversity and obstacles and succeed. This is coming from someone who's been there myself, who has had and still has a lot of difficulties yet had the willpower to carry on and reached goals that seemed impossible to reach.

This is the case with 'Breathe'. It is not a perfect film but is something of a breath of fresh air, being a film that is not just well crafted but also a film with brains and heart. Something that was not the case with a fair share of films released last year. It is a film generally that is deserving of a lot more credit than it gets, though it is lovely that there are others who feel the same.

'Breathe' does get a little too syrupy towards the end and the dialogue also doesn't feel as tight or focused around this point. Perhaps the music could have fitted a little more too, it's decent enough on its own but within the context of the film someone like Patrick Doyle would have suited more. These faults are vastly overshadowed by everything else that 'Breathe' does right and splendidly.

It looks beautiful for starters with the period detail evocative, the scenery a feast for the eyes and the photography is simply gorgeous with lots of colour and atmosphere. Andy Serkis' directing debut is a very credible and assured one, with little signs of inexperience and out of his depth-ness.

Generally, 'Breathe' is thoughtfully and deftly scripted and there is a real sense of purpose without being rambling. The story is truly inspiring, both with how the love story is portrayed and how the obstacles are portrayed and overcome, but the film is much more than just that. There is whimsy, some amusement but above all a sensitivity, honesty and huge emotional wallop.

Really admired Robin and Diana, found myself truly rooting for Robin while loving Diana for her unconditional love, steel, compassion and strength. They are both beautifully written and the characters are well written without being too neatly black and white.

Andrew Garfield gives a heart-wrenching, nuanced performance and Hugh Bonneville is admirable support but for me it's an outstanding Claire Foy who stands out the most.

Overall, a beautiful film and a breath of fresh air, that has sadly been overlooked amidst films that were hyped a lot more, the kinds of films that are more popular for audiences or films audiences are more likely to watch. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Diana (Claire Foy) follows Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) to Kenya. It's 1958. He's a tea broker living a life of leisure in colonial Kenya. After Diana gets pregnant, he is hit by polio. He is immobilized and forced to depend on breathing machines. He is confined to his hospital bed and suicidal. She refuses to give up and with inventive friends, they find new life for him and others like him.

This is most noteworthy for being Andy Serkis' directorial debut. This is beautifully functional. It does not excel beyond a standard inspirational biopic. He hits a few emotional high notes. The ending goes on for too long. This mostly works with two brilliant actors doing their best dragging this standard fare over the finish line. In many ways, the first climax happens halfway through the movie when Robin escapes the hospital and the movie never reach those heights again. This is a very inspirational life put on film functionally but not necessarily inspirationally.

Breathe is Andy Serkis's directorial debut. It's really about the life of the father of his production company partner Jonathan Cavendish.

Initially set in 1958. Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) is a dashing young man who contracted polio while in Kenya on business.

Newly married and his wife Diana (Claire Foy) being pregnant. Robin is paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without the assistance of a respirator. He is given only three months to live.

Back in Britain, despite the objections of his doctor. Robin moves out of the hospital and into his home with Diana providing his daily care.

Over time Robin becomes more mobile. After seeing his son push a pram. A friend constructs a mobile chair with a built in respirator. Robin even travels to Spain in a cargo plane.

It only struck me while watching this movie. Until Robin Cavendish, people who needed respirators were stuck in hospital for the rest of their lives. So someone like Christopher Reeves who even managed to make movies while severely paralysed. He would never have left hospital if was not for Robin's pioneering activism.

There is a creepy scene of patients put in a row in a hi tech hospital in Germany that Robin visits. The department that ran jails also ran the hospitals that treated these long term disabled people in ventilators. No one spoke on their behalf until Robin and they were never looked on as people.

It being a true story. I did think that the screenplay had a fight to give some peril to the story. Although life affirming, it lacked drama and some characters were flat.

Even the ending came across as a bit mawkish. Robin suffered from the long term effects of breathing through a ventilator as his lungs were damaged.

Serkis does well to hide the fact that this is a low budget movie. Scenes shot in South Africa stand for Kenya and Spain.

It is wonderfully photographed by three time Oscar winning cinematographer Robert Richardson. A coup for Serkis as he normally works for the likes of Tarantino, Scorsese and Oliver Stone.