Break

Review: I recommended Break (2020) to my brother and my parents for professionalism of it's creators. Recently, it's rare that a film is compelling after the cinema died. This story is held together by cinematic camera movements and a few enticing shots, similar to the Social Network.

Genre: It's got a blend of traditional British crime drama (think Harry Brown 2009) and an athlete's biopic. My buddy was obsessed about writing a bio-pic of an athlete and this film has got him beat.

This is a Snooker movie you never knew you needed in your life but more than that this is a story about a young man set in his ways that tells us, it is never too late to make those needed changes without clubbing you over the head with tropey cliche nonsense. Break respects it viewer and commands your respect in return.

'Break' is relatively good, somewhat against the odds.

It is quite rough around the edges, though it features a story that is perfectly watchable and is portrayed competently by those behind the scenes. Onscreen, the actors are all fairly solid. Sam Gittins is decent in the lead role, as are Luke Mably and Adam Deacon. The standouts, though, are Rutger Hauer and, particularly, David Yip. There are some neat snooker cameos too, albeit wooden ones.

Visually pleasing to see that this has a run time of 1hr 47mins. Nice touch!

// Break is a 2020 British film written and directed by Michael Elkin.

This is actually a very good film. Definitely recommended.

Low grade British film about an impoverished kid from an impoverished neighborhood whose dying father makes a last ditch effort when he gets out of jail to get his son a chance at a Snooker tournament in Hong Kong that will turn his life around. The kid is a small time criminal, wasting his life on drugs and petty crime hanging with his friends...but amazingly has shown a gift for Snooker.

I wish they showed more of the game of Snooker and explained the rules a little, but I guess they figure that is what the internet is for.

The cast was appropriate and well acted, but there were a lot of trite stereotypes...like getting the girl and the bad guy getting taken out.

I would probably give this movie a pass...although I don't have an alternative snooker movie to recommend...there are several pool movies The Hustler (Paul Newman), Stickmen (New Zealand), The Color of Money (Paul Newman).

However, this is the Dutch actor, Rutger Hauer's last film...so if you would like to see him and don't just want to rewatch Bladerunner, Ladyhawke or The Heineken Kidnapping this is the film for you. ...And to Anne Rice fans: He really would have made a much better vampire than the actor who got the role.