Breaking In

I remember seeing this little film in the theater. It was a second run theater and this was the second part of a double feature with "The Abyss" which I had actually gone to see. I stuck around for this, not expecting much as Burt reynolds didn't have much a career going at this point. Boy, was I surprised! This film is a gem. A low-key comedy, where the humor doesn't come from gross-out belly laughs but from characters we can relate to. It was such a treat to see Reynolds shelve his tough-guy, trans-am persona and tackle a character role, showing warmth and depth akin to his work in Boogie Nights. I admit to a fondness for "caper" movies, and while this one fits the bill, it's not quite as clever in that department as some others, but this movie isn't about being clever, it's about people and how they relate to each other, even in the realm of burglars. If you haven't seen this, it's well worth renting.

Burt Reynolds successfully ends a rather slow 1980's with a surprisingly good character part in this 1989 Samuel Goldwyn Pictures release. He portrays a veteran professional thief and safecracker who teaches a young novice how to be like him. Amusing crime caper.

Burt Reynolds broke out of his leading man pigeonhole to attempt, for once, a more believable role, playing a middle-aged, low-rent burglar who enlists the help of a dumb but loyal grease monkey and then proceeds to give him lessons in both larceny and life. There are a few heists along the way, but this is more a character study than a caper film, and it works in large part because of the rapport and timing between Reynolds and his blue collar sidekick Casey Siemaszko. Both characters are losers, and it might be argued that losers make more engaging heroes, perhaps because they're easier to identify with. In the spirit of earlier Bill Forsythe films it's a slim but disarming comedy, with an extra measure of depth in the canny screenplay by John Sayles, as always the working man's champion, who along the way makes some minor but interesting points about the haves and the have-nots.

Often dubbed Burt Reynolds' big comeback (after a lackluster 1980s), though the term "comeback" really only applies to his choice of roles. Reynolds has always been a captivating actor, but his role selection hasn't always been stellar. In Breaking In, he teams up with pragmatic Scottish director Bill Forsyth and talented screenwriter John Sayles. Forsyth directs with a genuine interest in the choices people make in life, and Sayles creates a couple of sharp, engaging characters. Surrounded by solid material such as this, Burt, alongside the lively Casey Siemaszko, delivers a handful of standout, earnest scenes. Forsyth isn't aiming for groundbreaking conclusions here, but rather an intriguing character study - and that's exactly what this film is: an engaging piece of drama, with just the right dose of humour.

"Breaking In" is a very forgettable Burt Reynolds comedy. For a really great Reynolds chuckles film rent "The End". This one falls flat, with just one caper after another, it is very redundant. Not much can be said about the two main characters either. Both fail to elicit sympathy, and in fact Casey Siemaszko as the thief apprentice comes across as more stupid than sympathetic. The ending feels so tacked on, it is bewildering. It is also very unsatisfying, which is not a good way to end what has already been a tedious film experience. Not recommended, even for Burt Reynolds fans.................................. - MERK