Broken Side of Time

When I saw this movie at a festival in NYC last year I left deeply appreciative of how this production truly takes great advantage of the medium to do more than tell a story, but to leave a visceral impression, an experience of a lifestyle I knew very little about. Lynn Mancinelli's Dolce, an Alt model, is on a personal road to change, and the narrative is compelling (helped by an expert, understated performance by Mancinelli)- but what makes the film different most of all is how it somehow, by the time the film comes to its peaceful close, creates in the viewer the sensation of having experienced what it might like to be photographed so many times in one's life, in one's career - and how the clicking and flashing becomes a kind of battery. The beauty of the result of the photography is for the unknowing, anonymous viewer - but this film gets you inside the subject of such photography - not only on a level of empathy, but somehow, and I still can't really articulate how, on an internal level. I felt like I experienced something ironic, and that Bechard and these storytellers do a real service by bringing the unbeautiful hustle and poison in such an industry to the forefront. I like learning something about things when I watch a movie- and this really surprised me in a good way.

In 'Broken Side Of Time', Gorman Bechard has crafted a road-trip film that is equal parts literal and figurative. The story centers on Dolce, played by the fantastic Lynn Mancinelli, who has been modeling for a decade and is trying to figure out all aspects of her life: her career, her family, her passions, her vices, and herself. Despite not having any true insight into the life of a model like Dolce, I find it easy to relate both to her story and to both aspects of her journey. The film is beautifully shot, with captivating perspectives and dazzling balances between light and shadow, color and griminess, and action and passivity that speak directly to Dolce's movements and to her mental state throughout. Dean Falcone's score, which sounds as if could be a lost Chris Whitley instrumental album, provides a perfect backdrop from start to finish. I won't give anything away here, but I will say that of all the stories I've read and seen on film that follow a character through a journey whereby he or she is seeking redemption or change or insight into the meaning of life - whether his or hers specifically, or in a larger sense - this one speaks to me in a deeper and more direct way than most, particularly when compared to films of the past two decades or so following this general theme. Like life itself, there are moments of Dolce's journey that are hard to take, but they serve to provide both the character and the viewer with the drive to keep on going, to continue searching, to never lose hope. Bechard has struck a chord with me in 'Broken Side Of Time', and has given me plenty to think about in my own journey through life.

First off, for people who seem to think every good indie film review is written by someone associated with the film, I have NOTHING to to with the film, the filmmakers, the cast, any of them. I read these silly comments here all the time, and wonder why people can't just understand we all have different tastes. I think big action movies suck. But I don't write reviews claiming that every good review was written by someone involved with the production. It's just ridiculous.

That said, Broken Side of Time is a beautiful film about a woman's journey to rediscover herself, to start over, when she realizes the job she loves now belongs to 18-year-olds and she can't and won't compete.

The opening half hour is a brilliant piece of acting my Lynn Mancinelli. There is virtually no dialog during this section. Instead, we see and feel the internal pain she's going through to come to the realization that she MUST move on with her life. Anyone who's ever been in a situation where they know they must make a decision they don't want to make will understand. It's like knowing you need to break up with someone. We see how hard the decision is for her.

The zippo lighter scene kills me. First off, it appears to be the only light used in the scene. It's stark, it's heartbreaking, it's how humans actually behave in real life. And for the record, it's about 30 seconds, not fifteen minutes. But for people with ADD, well...y'know.

Once she gets in the car and begins the road trip home, at about the 32 minute mark, the film changes tone. We see her come to accept her decision, and even turn from a very depressed creature, into the stunning model she once was. And as she slowly gives up the vices in her life, we see her smile for the first time. We see her begin to enjoy life.

Everything about this film is beautiful. From the performances, to the music to the way it was shot. It felt real to me. I've been there. Every woman I know has as well.

Broken Side of Time is what an indie film SHOULD be. Allow yourself to get lost in her journey. You won't be disappointed.

And if you're looking for a comparison, it's very much like a French film. Think Blue Is The Warmest Color. Or the American indie film Starlet. That's the vibe. If your attention span is that of a 4-year-old, this is not the film for you.

OK, I have never done this, but I am 35 minutes into this film and cannot believe how awful this film is! The first 30 minutes were spent with one character. She played with her lighter for 15 minutes, spent some time on the phone, etc. The film is slightly over 2 hours long and I am getting sick and tired of people associated with a film writing phony reviews. Film making is an art, it requires a particular kind of talent and skill. Owning equipment does not a film maker make!! I wish there was some way to control bogus reviews because this does not qualify as a film! I am tired of wasting my time watching stuff that's unwatchable.

Spare yourself and pass this one by quickly!!

This was a dark journey for the Dolce/Jane (Lynn Mancinelli) and the viewer is right there with her. You see her at her lowest, indulging in the vices a lifestyle with no center and sustained by illusion, smoke, and mirrors, provide. You experience her world, from her eyes, and together come to a realization that the ride must come to an end. So, one more trip down the rabbit hole. Only this time, not to stay, but to say, "goodbye". On the road for one more stab at all the things that made this her lifestyle of choice. Indulge in one more drug binge, one more casual sex encounter, one last great photoshoot. With each experience, she sheds her demons. In the end, there is redemption in coming home.