Broken - Una vita spezzata

Broken (2012)

A high stakes middle class melodrama that gets more and more intense—and improbable —as it goes. Well done stuff, with some disturbing insights into contemporary British suburbia.

Besides all the tense thrills of watching some rivalries between kids and parents in this world, and a couple of love affairs blossom, what is the takeaway? I've been wondering that for two days after watching it. And in a way I think there isn't any "message" or large point here. It's a slice of life kind of approach even though the "slice" here is an unrealistic bit of hyper-drama.

In a way this kind of interwoven tale of ordinary people experiencing extraordinary things (like murder) is a justification in itself. It's a high-drama movie, nothing less. That it is well made and well acted is a bonus. And the fact it manages to touch on issues of intolerance and misunderstanding in our current world is valuable. In all, well done, and well meant.

It also avoids what you might call insight, for lack of a better word. That is, there are all these horrible events (and some lovely ones) and we don't quite know why that are happening, or why not, other than because of circumstance. The underlying psychology, and social fabric, is supplied only sparingly, though it is implied often. What results is still quite dramatic, but why do I feel drained and incomplete by it all?

See this? Yes, absolutely. But knowing its deeper limitations.

To borrow a line from my review of last year's heartbreaking film, The Hunt (Jagten), sometimes children lie. Sometimes they are simple, instinctive lies; sometimes they are calculated as an easy escape from a truth that may have dark consequences and sometimes lives are broken as a result.

When 11-year old Skunk (Eloise Laurence in her film debut) witnesses a swift but brutal attack in the quiet avenue where she lives, a series of violent events, both physical and emotional, ensues that has a devastating impact on three families.

The three families, each dysfunctional in their own ways, would not ordinarily have anything in common and would not be drawn to one another, but we see them confined in a small cul-de-sac like trapped, wild animals thrown into the same cage and each missing some of the essentials for an equanimous life. In a strange way, this could be a suburban take on Life of Pi with a young girl trying to make sense of a mad world. The tragedy is circumstance, but that's no excuse for the way some of the neighbours enact their lives, escalating lies and compounding mistakes.

But though all sounds bleak, Broken is occasionally beautiful, frequently touching and often funny and, again, it is all these things because it is so real. Watching Skunk and her brother, Jed (Bill Milner, Will from Son of Rambow), wrestling, clipping clothes pegs to each other and hanging out in their camp, brings back memories of childhood when the world seemed against us but there was always an escape to a bright, fantasy existence.

The humour comes not from cheesy asides or self-conscious jokes but from delightfully extraneous happenings on the periphery: the crashing descent of a car in a breakers yard, a boy dancing alone in a car park and a pair of twins with poo in a slingshot… That director Rufus Norris (another debut) has paid such care to the incidentals makes Broken a more complete film.

His choice of music is fantastically inelegant. Forget the whimsy of Rachel Portman (Chocolat) or the rousing scores of John Williams (do you really need me to tell you?), what carries Broken is close to the demo tune on a 1980s Cassio keyboard with Rolf Harris twanging along on a Jew's harp. And if that isn't sufficient to lighten the mood, as characters on the screen struggle to make sense of the dark craziness of life, along pops a song to celebrate the bizarre madness of it and we are permitted to laugh as the singer intones 'One day when I'm really old, and my hair falls out, I'll stick it back with the spoon of the marmalade that you made…' It's rare that I mention the editing but Victoria Boydell has sensitively cut a story to match the patterns of our minds. Occasionally we jump forwards by minutes as if reading an exciting novel, our eyes sprinting ahead until our brain slows us down, then seamlessly we step back to see in everything fully and in order.

Norris has cast Broken faultlessly. The star name upon which it's sold is Tim Roth as Archie, Skunk's dad, a single parent who is the calm, reasonable father in the middle of a minor battlefield. It's unfathomable, watching him here, that he isn't a bigger star. Archie is clearly a man with great pressure in an unenviable situation but he doesn't simply make the best of it, he endeavours to make it the best it can be. It is a wonderful, understated performance that I suspect few will see.

Laurence is a revelation and the emotional fullness with which she inhabits Skunk allows us to root for her and silently admonish her, because she could easily be the girl next door.

There isn't a poor performance in Broken, only characters you care for and those from whom you'd run a mile. Rory Kinnear (son of Roy) as Bob, gives us a man who is, on the face of it, the neighbor from hell with a trio of daughters to match but he's no two-dimensional villain, rather a damaged man with his own daemons he is unable to cope with. In contrast, Kasia (Zana Marjanovich), the friend who lives with Archie as a cross between friend, auntie and surrogate mother, brings a gentle, caring irreverence in the midst of the turmoil but she, too, has her 'edge.' Robert Emms, so often an invisible supporting actor, is breath-drawingly good as the mentally ill, victimized Rick who struggles to cope with the various warzones into which he is cast. He is the hate-figure of Bob and his daughters, the cause of weariness and frustration in his parents (superb turns from Dennis Lawson & Clare Burt) and, more than anything, the terrifying confusion in his mind. His character evolution is superb and our own feelings towards him are as confused as his own.

Once the credits had rolled, I sat in silence and reflected on how life runs away from us and we are subject to its whims. Sometimes we emerge the beneficiaries, sometimes the victims. Perhaps this is simple karma; perhaps it is fatalism. Or maybe everything is random or even the result of misunderstandings and the inability of mere humans to communicate their feelings openly, simply and honestly.

Broken asks the questions but leaves us to draw our own conclusions.

Sometimes 'broken' may be repaired. But not always.

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'Broken' is a film about a young girl named skunk, her life is turned upside down after witnessing a violent incident happen to one of her neighbours. From then one things go from bad to worse amongst the neighbourhood and her own family.

This film is acting debut of Eloise Laurence who plays Skunk, she is faultless. She keeps Skunks emotions right on the edge of her sleeves which makes her performance more real. When you look at her you can't help but smile even when it's a serious scene, she is just so cute and so amazingly talented. I hope to see her more in the future.

Tim Roth plays Skunk's dad Archie. As always Tim is amazing, he really brings all the emotions a father would feel towards his daughter and puts it into his performance and let's face it, who wouldn't want Tim Roth as their on-screen father? Cillian Murphy plays Mike, the boyfriend of their au pair Kasia, he also becomes Skunk's teacher. Murphy plays Mike as the most loyal/devoted boyfriend who anyone would want, Which makes him a really likable character and even comes to Skunk's rescue which I think any girl would want. You really feel for him when things turn upside down on him, and want to reach out a give him a hug. Plus he keeps is Irish accent for this one! 'Broken' is a film full of emotions, be them happy, sad, anger or love. This film is an emotional roller-coaster ride with some brilliant actors and some wonderful singing from the lead lady herself.

This is going to be a very quick review as I do not wish to give anything away. It is a gritty, beautifully made, completely believable gem of a film.

The story could be set in any street in the UK and no doubt most will realise parallels with our own lives. Laughter, sorrow, pain, joy and all the things that make a stunner of a movie.

Brilliant acting through-out and no-doubt we will see these young stars again in the future. Tim Roth is Tim Roth and never lets you down so no news there.

Just go watch it.

From the very beginning of the film, I got hooked by the beautiful cinematography and style, by the choice of characters and the accuracy of the details and by the visual storytelling that reminded me again and again why I fell in love with cinema in the first place.

The subject treated in this movie may not be something new for the viewers but what I am certain of is that director "Ruffus Norris" really has a great vision and an amazing ability to capture the audience's complete attention every single second of the film, allowing the movie to drive them.

You'll definitely enjoy watching this movie and I assure you, it will be quite an experience. Few movies have succeeded in capturing me to the last frame but Broken is one of them, again, a courtesy of the amazing cinema of England.

The movie is based on the concept of causes and consequences that lead to certain actions and results that may be good or bad depending on the situation. It is set in a small neighborhood where the stories of the characters living there intertwine in a beautiful way.

It is a story about the loss of innocence, childhood, unfortunate events and people trying to do "good", and forced to do "bad".

Enough said, this film is definitely a must-watch this year.