Breaking Up
Breaking Up
R | 17 October 1997 (USA)
Breaking Up Trailers

An aloof, struggling food photographer thinks he has found true love with a fiery grade-school teacher. At first, the relationship is all wine and roses, but as they realize they have little in common besides great sex, the romance wanes, and they struggle through a succession of break-ups and reunions as they try to work things out.

Reviews
Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!
WasAnnon Slow pace in the most part of the movie.
Brennan Camacho Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.
Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
BirdmanT7 I saw this film a few nights ago on TV and had never even heard of it?To see Selma Hayek and Russel Crow together got me more interested because they are not your typical Hollywood pairing. I read some of the reviews on this film posted here after I saw the film and I am really sorry for you people who trash this film, you are either so spolied and programmed by the fantasy of Hollywood films or just don't get it?. Rarely does film in Hollywood dares to go this deep about two people in a relationship and trial and emotional complexities that don't make any logical sense to any of us who have been in relationships that were hard to let go of.I think this film really appeals to more of a European audience than American, because you the US audience always wants to live in some kind of fantasy world, White Boy meets White Girl they fall in love and live happily ever after. Now, if something different comes along that requires your attention and becomes a little too real then you trash it.What is even more sad that there is a hardly an audience for this kind of film in the US as it is in Europe. This was originally a play and that is pretty obvious from the fact its based on two people without the side kicks of friends in your usual gimmick movies. Some of the conversations may seem tedious and long at times but for those of you who have been involved in relationships that sometimes don't make sense then you can relate at because you can't make any sense out of human emotions then you would understand it and relate to it. I guess what made this film not as appealing to some like "Harry Met Sally" did is because it didn't have all the little cute scenes that like "Sally" pretending to have a orgasm in a restaurant; that's what sells in a Hollywood film but "Breaking Up" is not such a film and never pretended to be either, it was more honest than any film that deals with relationships than most films ever do in Hollywood and it doesn't have a happy ending either and this is where the US audience needs to GROW UP.Selma Hayek really gave a great performance in this film, I am not even a fan nor did I ever like any of her films but I really thought she did a great job in this film, and so did Russel Crow. This film would not probably a choice for either of them today but trust me if there was a way to remake this film with two huge stars and add a some side kicks and slap a happy ending to it you, then suddenly people will be raving about it. I think this is a film that only appeals to those who can relate to it and appreciate its for the crazy and insane parts of any intense relationship. There is a line in this film where both characters years later say "..they never really understood why they even broke up?" and I think that was what this film was about; what makes any relationship work? and how do you make any logical sense of it when you are so caught up in it emotionally and how do you come out of it and deal with the pain and misery of loosing someone. Now, if you let go of your expectations then you might be able to appreciate this film for its honesty.
theprovinces I flipped through this film (shot in 1995) one day on cable, since I'm not a big fan of either of the stars, but a couple days later(it was on again) felt compelled to watch and found it engaging, if disturbingly credible and real. It's probably the kind of movie that will appeal to those who've experienced similar situations -- the break-up that lasts longer than the relationship. I think Greenwald (director) and the writer Michael Christofer have a very good grip on understanding the emotional highs and lows of a relationship that's turbulent: There's much to admire about the person, but ultimately something isn't right, hence the many (failed) attempts at breaking up. **Potential Spoiler** Still, there are those who might view this (as some other commentators have) as more of a "true love" type of story -- I believe (paraphrasing here) someone said something about they know they're each others true love. I disagree. I think there is a super strong physical and emotional bond that draws them together (even in the final scene) but perhaps they've realized that what they had wasn't strong enough to sustain a long-term commitment in a family situation.I wouldn't recommend this movie for everyone. If you can't relate to it, it might be annoying and repetitive, but if you've gone through the multiple break-up situation, the desperate attempts to "make it work" when it's hopeless, the being drawn back to each other, the whispery breathy phone calls after weeks of separation, the hopefulness that "this time it will be different" (and it never is), you will definitely "get" this movie more. There are comedic moments and **SPOILER** but it ends in a non-Hollywood way and much of what they go through is fairly devasting (or seemingly so at the moment).
Stello I like Salma Hayek, I like Russell Crowe.. I had never heard of this movie until I noticed it on the TV guide, but seeing who were starring in it, I was expecting some entertainment.. How wrong was I!! :O It turned out to be really, Really bad! Forced dialogue all through the movie, plus I felt the director had been playing with as many different camera techniques as he could think of - ending up making a big mess of waste. Such disappointment.. The only potential bit was the scene where he was taking a bath, getting a mental image of the bodybuilder type she described on the phone.. But it wasn't funny enough to save the movie.This one's best avoided..
djunchan The story was not compelling at all. I found myself noticing all of the inconsistencies instead. The one that really bothered me is when Salma Hyak is moving out after the wedding fiasco. I don't know a single person who would pack their stuff without tying their hair. I'm supposed to be sympathising, but instead I find them petty and senseless, and all I notice is her perfectly parted hair while she's packing.If it holds my interest like that, it's can't be good. I would have loved a better accent from Russell Crowe, or no accent at all. That was something that kept grating on me because of points in the film where I totally lost interest.You are never led understand why their motivations really make sense, or why their feelings are so capricious and petty. Ultimately, you end up with two frustrating people in a pointless relationship that is a circle of hope and failure over and over again.The fact that the ending left it open for them to get back together was also disturbing. It shows what vapid morons the characters are if they couldn't realise they were right for each other all along and now have to drag their innocent spouses and offspring into divorces. I can't root for people who keep doing the wrong thing, hurting each other, then possibly hurting innocent people who trusted them.In fact, they're to awful, perhaps they do deserve each other before they ruin their families any more than they would. I wanted to identify with this movie, but I just couldn't because I am not a clod.
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