Breathe

PG-13

Released Oct 13, 2017

1 hr. 57 min.

Biography

History

Drama

Romance

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List

68%

168 Reviews

Tomatometer

72%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

After contracting polio at the age of 28, Robin Cavendish is confined to a bed and given only months to live. With help from his wife Diana and her twin brothers, and the groundbreaking ideas of inventor Teddy Hall, Cavendish emerges from the hospital ward and devotes the rest of his life to helping fellow patients and the disabled.

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Critics Consensus

Strong performances from Breathe's well-matched leads help add an edge to a biopic that takes a decidedly heartwarming approach to its real-life story.

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Valerie R

Loved it. Beautifully acted. Meaningful.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/06/24

Full Review

Lorena S

Very emotional. Liked the story and movie

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The power of love has changed everything in this world for the better. Technology would have never advanced to an idea without it. Quality of life would never have the chance to improve without it. This film is evidence of all of these things.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

isla s

I thought this was a brilliant film - a sad story, hard to watch in parts but ultimately a story of humanity, of hope in disability and, perhaps slightly more cheesily, a story of love and family. Its an interesting and in some ways uplifting story and the performances were really good, especially Andrew Garfield, Tom Hollander and Stephen Mangan. Its based on a true story and this made the film all the more interesting to me. I found it intriguing and I respect the Cavendish family for how they coped with what they faced. It made me wonder about the future in terms of technical abilities to help the severley disabled. This is a film definitely worth seeing - the story seemed well handled, its a thought provoking watch with some great performances, so I recommend it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Loved every minute of it. Emotional, yet sprinkled with humor is what made this stand out from other movies based on real life people with disabilities. Andrew Garfield is amazing even with limited body movement, his performance manages to reach the audience immensely. Claire Foy's performance feels noteworthy as well. Andy Serkis does a great job in one of the best directorial debuts I've seen.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Amazing and heart-warming true story of Robin Cavendish and the life he was able to live after being struck down in his youth with polio. Great to see the boundaries he broke in the process which has helped a multitude of patients today with polio.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

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Andy Serkis

Director

Andrew Garfield

Robin Cavendish

Claire Foy

Diana Cavendish

Tom Hollander

Bloggs Blacker & David Blacker

Stephen Mangan

Dr. Clement Aitken

Hugh Bonneville

Teddy Hall

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41%

48%

Mary Shelley

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83%

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Breathe: Trailer 2

2:34

Breathe: Trailer 1

2:31

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

It's an eerily skilful performance by Garfield, making it easy to imagine that he really is trying to master the art of speech by regulating his flow of available air.

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 29, 2017

Full Review

David Stratton

The Australian

Robin's story is certainly a tale of near-triumph over adversity, and the director manages to keep cheap sentimentality at bay. In many ways this is a very English story about intestinal fortitude and the stiff upper lip.

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 29, 2017

Full Review

Wenlei Ma

News.com.au

The producer of Breathe, Jonathan Cavendish, is the son of the incredible couple whose story is immortalised in the movie, giving it a weighty, personal connection that transcends some empty exercise in virtue.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 20, 2017

Full Review

Tori Brazier

Flickering Myth

Breathe will bring a lump to the throat with its passionate but un-showy telling of two individuals who sought to change the status quo.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 25, 2021

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Breathe doesn't have the gravitas of The Theory of Everything - it spends too much time trying to wring all the emotion out of the story like tears from a sponge - but it does have compassion and heart.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 1, 2021

Full Review

Jason Best

What's On TV

As disability dramas go, Breathe won't leave you gasping. But if it lacks The Theory of Everything's emotional heft, it remains an inspiring and affecting tale.

Dec 20, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

After contracting polio at the age of 28, Robin Cavendish is confined to a bed and given only months to live. With help from his wife Diana and her twin brothers, and the groundbreaking ideas of inventor Teddy Hall, Cavendish emerges from the hospital ward and devotes the rest of his life to helping fellow patients and the disabled.

Director: Andy Serkis
Executive Producer: Phil Robertson, Christine Langan, Joe Oppenheimer, Tim Haslam, Hugo Grumbar, Claudia Bluemhuber, Ian Hutchinson, Florian Dargel, Irene Gall, James Spring, Larry Taube, Natascha Wharton
Screenwriter: William Nicholson
Distributor: Bleecker Street Media
Production Co: Imaginarium Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Some Bloody Medical Images|Mature Thematic Material)
Genre: Biography, History, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 13, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 2, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $489.4K

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