At the center of everything is 17-year-old Ariella, a pretty, Israeli girl who, of course, wants to be sexy & part of the teen party culture.
But wait, the setting here is not the U. S. A. Or England. No. "Broken Mirrors" is set in Israel . . . Israel - a country where every able-bodied child growing up realizes they will have to serve in the Israeli Military when they turn 18! Young men will have to serve 2 years & 8 months in the Israel Defense Forces, and young women will have to serve 2 years in the Israel Defense Forces!
That means pretty, somber-eyed Ariella is herself 1 year away from having to serve in the Israeli Military.
The clincher? Ariella's father, Giora, is a lifelong, hardened member serving in the Israeli Army, and he is the master of his family, sort of like an Israeli Great Santini. In fact, when this reviewer was watching "Broken Mirrors", I thought to myself, "I have to watch 'The Great Santini' again - Robert Duvall turns in such a great performance in that movie!" But The Great Santini never had to contend with a pretty, rebellious, teenage daughter!
Giora, Ariella's father, runs the family with an iron fist, even insisting that he and his eldest daughter synchronize watches once a day!
The punishments he metes out to his 17-year-old daughter are severe - something straight out of the Israeli Military. This reviewer is not offering up spoilers - you'll have to watch the movie yourself to find out what I mean by "severe punishments."
Ariella's mother tries to act as a buffer between the militaristic Giora and her eldest daughter, Ariella.
"Broken Mirrors is essentially about Ariella, who is developing a rebellious streak. Giora - ever the watchful controller - routinely monitors what Ariella wears, but Ariella is savvy, and knows how to get around Giora's regulations. Rest assured, Ariella is well aware of the appeal of young Israeli men.
But Giora is so overbearing & controlling, the viewer wonders, "Does Ariella have any privacy in her bedroom? Does she ever get the chance to masturbate? - certainly an age-appropriate activity!
And then there is a near-tragedy, involving Ariella & her mother. You'll just have to watch the movie to find out what this reviewer means by "near-tragedy".
Does Ariella want to seduce a young man? Does she truly realize the repercussions of what she's doing? What can this reviewer say but, "You'll have to watch this excellent movie yourself!"
For those with ultra-delicate sensibilities, there is a brief instance of Ariella going topless, but, I promise, a short glimpse of two healthy breasts never harmed anyone.
Ahhhh! Ariella - so pretty, like a seashell!
