Breaking

Will this movie appeal to everyone? No it won't.

Does this movie contain huge action packed CGI filled scenes? Again, no , it doesn't.

Car chases? Nope. Nudity? Nope.

A huge cast of actors that try and steel the screen from each other? Not one bit.

So what's good about it? Basically everything I just said. This movie relies on what has been missing from a lot of movies recently and thats straight up good acting. A decent script is also present and it is accompanied by a very good music score.

I'd be lying if I said that it is an amazing movie because it isn't but it's certainly above average and way above the majority of what's come out this year.

Solid drama based on the true story of an ex-Marine who took over a Georgia bank in 2017 threatening to blow it and a pair employees up with a bomb. The soldier, Brian Brown-Easley, played by John Boyega has been caught up in a dispute with The Veteran's Administration. At wit's end, he decides that making a spectacle will get the attention of the media.

Director and Co-Writer Abi Damaris Corbin sets up the situation in a fairly straightforward manner. The emphasis is clearly on Brown-Easley as the movie methodically shows the hours leading up to the takeover. As the situation escalates, we get more glimpses of his ex-wife and child. The two bank employees provide an element of immediate endangerment. Nicole Beharie is particularly good as the calm but determined manager as is the late Michael K. Williams as the hostage negotiator.

When the movie moves past the immediate hostage situation inside the bank, the script gets a bit more dicey. The point of view and background details get a bit muddled. The acting holds it together, but, a more directed narrative would have tightened the suspense all the more. Brown-Easley's story did all too briefly cast a light on military veterans' plight, but, alas, the moment passed soon after the situation was finalized.

BREAKING is good calling card for Corbin, and Boyega's performance should lead to more opportunities outside the Star Wars/sci-fi universe.

LOW RATINGS FROM THOSE WHO JUST DON'T CARE Anyone who understands the human condition of dealing with a society that doesn't care about the most vulnerable people who struggle day after day, will appreciate the message of this important movie. It's not only veterans who face homelessness, it's also those who suffer from mental illness. In any case, they are mostly alone and struggling to figure out how to get the help they need. By the time they get any direction on where to go and who to ask, they are already beaten down and their spirits are broken. This is the point for them in which death means peace and freedom.

It's hard to call a movie based on a true story uninspiring or flat out boring because it's a depiction of the actual events and if it's dramatized it moves towards fiction, away from the truth. But this really was not interesting, and the worst part is John Boyega put out what is probably his best performance yet, and in one of his last performances before his passing, Michael Kenneth Williams also did his character justice... but the story just wasn't good enough. You're thrown into the middle of the plot and without any character development, expected to somehow care about the character. It's a heartbreaking story sure, but it's not captivating enough and pretty predictable especially since you hear all throughout the movie how exactly it's going to end, repeated over and over. Three movies premiered tonight and I couldn't watch all of them 'cause of the timings so I opted for this, and after nearly two hours I regret it; somebody loudly sighed "that's it?" when the credits rolled and the whole theatre mumbled in agreement. It was a realistic take on true events, but it lacked any suspense or thrill to keep you interested, no matter how sad the situation the marine war vet was in. It's sad an important message won't get the delivery it deserves. Also, John Boyega gave me Denzel Washington vibes in this.

Escalate or diffuse ? Overwhelming force or appropriate response to a human being in crisis ? The reviews here are not that positive ; I disagree.

This is a poignant story rendered capably and one that keeps the story moving and interesting not to mention outstanding acting by all the characters portrayed. That's the point of my review , a movie with a compelling story. If you are up for fantasy and 'cartoon' movies , then look elsewhere. If you up for a real movie , by all means go to see this one. The story is different but it reminds me of the Clint Eastwood produced movie :' Richard Jewel' and , that was, IMO a good movie . And please remember when you see a one star review to click on the link for the user of the the one star review because more often than not it is a one and done user review in other words , a troll posting a bad review and to put it mildly : insincere, sincerely yours an actual person who watched the movie and posted in my imdb blog .