“Good shot old chap”, is the type of era we find ourselves in with Breathe, a coming-of-age romance drama starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy. It could’ve been called “Keep Calm and Carry On”, mustering up the best of British fortitude against the tide of bureaucracy and prejudice. Cricket, tennis… a spot of tea and a bikkie, everything seems to be hunky-dory until the onset of unexpected illness. Spurring us to dig deep and keep our chin up… pip-pip, it underwrites much of the sentiment around being cut from the Queen’s cloth and getting on with it – something we could all learn from in an age of bad news, financial constraints and default suspicion.

This is a directorial debut for Andy Serkis, who is best known for his brilliant motion capture performances as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and Caesar in the new Planet of the Apes series. Serkis has become the quintessential mo-cap actor, whose work has almost necessitated a best digital actor award. While this hasn’t come about yet, he has also racked up a reasonable filmography as a live-action actor. Having had so much experience in front of the camera, you would imagine this would give him some special insights when it comes to directing. While far from perfect, his debut demonstrates his agility when it comes to effecting the right balance in terms of comedy and tragedy, something Breathe explores through the true story of Robin and Diana Cavendish.

This inspiring story follows the lives of newlyweds, whose adventurous lifestyle is subverted by devastating disease. While simply reading the plot makes you want to avoid this film, which seems like an inevitable downer, there’s much more to it than a Nicholas Sparks style tearjerker. If you had to deconstruct Breathe, you would find a film inspired by the likes of The King’s Speech, The Intouchables and The Theory of Everything. It echoes The King’s Speech in its stiff upper lip determination centring on a much-loved man’s will to succeed. While not quite as exuberant, the true story, heartwarming tone and central relational dynamic are reminiscent of The Intouchables as Garfield and Foy’s marital trials and stalwart performances reflect The Theory of Everything.

“Hold me now… and forever.”