linda fox / 11 April 2013 / Categories: Movie and TV Shows, Movie

Broken

It's not clear if the source material is this shoddy, or simply the screenwriting, but esentially, the script backs itself into a corner. With everyone's actions coming home to roost in the last third of the picture, it seems like the story doesn't know where to go, and the writers aren't smart enough or don't care enough to find a way out. So what do they do? Well, blood starts to flow and characters begin to exit the picture in a hurry. We suppose this fits with the jarring nature of the narrative overall, but none of it is earned. We're asked to care about some of these myriad characters, only to see many of them dispatched, and because its so foreseeable, it only emphasizes how lazy the screenplay feels. The few surprises that are there feel like cheapshots rather than well earned twists naturally built out of what we've seen unfold.

If there's any silver lining to "Broken," it's the performance of Laurence, who shines and delivers both laughs and heartache in the film. She's a young actress who already shows a tremendously winning presence and personality in front of the camera, and she brings much needed life to a movie that is largely missing it. As for the rest of the cast, they are mostly wasted in one-dimensional roles that don't provide much growth. "Broken" simply can't get it together on any level, delivering a tedious drama, that for all the characters and over-emoting, doesn't have much to say.

BROKEN

This film has had mixed reviews, more bad than good but I personally really enjoyed it. It has an interesting plot about three families and an 11yr old girl who learns some tough life lessons as her innocence fades over the summer holidays, terrific acting on her part, very convincing and very moving. The father played by Tim Roth who gives a great performance. The actions of one person telling a lie has a knock on effect on so many people, with tragic consequences.

Excellent film about family life from differing perspectives, violent in parts and some very tragic moments, I needed several tissues. I love Tim Roth films