“Let me ask you, when you look at me, what is it that you see? Do you see a creature that’s barely alive? Or do you see a man that’s escaped the confines of the hospital wards?”

***

A solid, often inspirational directorial debut from the king of motion-capture, Andy Serkis. Breathe offers up a powerful true story that doesn’t quite hit its tear-jerking potential, the rigidity in which it sticks to the rulebook being it’s biggest hold back. Terrific central performances from Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield provide reason enough to recommend it, yet its stiffness keeps the audience at arms length emotionally, and in its formulaic nature it struggles to distinguish itself in what is a crowded genre.

Rating (out of 5):