User reviews

I really liked this movie. I'm glad you tube suggested this one.

Warning - it has a long running time because it pans very slowly through each scene. I sped it up to 1.5 speed in You Tube, and it was perfect. There is plenty of time to read the subtitles, and as they are speaking in a foreign language, the words being spoken fast seems natural.

It has an engaging story, and a very good acting all the way around. Shira Haas is great as the young teen who is punished too harshly by her authoritarian father, and yet continues to rebel, even though she is well aware that she is hurting herself in the process.

I really liked this film because it focused on teenager's prespective on obusment and shame. The directors are doing a great job as well but its Shira Haas that steals the show.

A teenage, daughter of a military captain is used to be raised and punished according to the military ways by her father.

This time she makes a great mistake that she doesn't seem to handle, nor her father. Frustrated of not getting any punishment, she is trying to solve this issue far a way from the regular military way. Putting her self in danger and her father miserable and anxious.

A journey of a father and daughter.

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!