Baseshment
I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
Guillelmina
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
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.
bluepony29
Is the girl Skunk or Scout? Is her brother Jed or Jem? How about the lawyer dad? Is he Archie or Atticus? And the Cunningham name rings a bell. And so on. Anyway, I am too familiar with To Kill a Mockingbird and I just kept seeing Scout in a terrible awful nightmare. But the acting was very good and the institution for kids who need mental and physical treatment is awfully disturbing just like in real life. And I'm not talking about the place where the car washer is sent to look out the window. The ending was very moving. I thought it was done really well. It was very beautiful. Sometimes I wonder just how English I really am. I speak the language but yet I speak with an accent. Can you tell? No, because I am only speaking in my head. And the words are I guess just broken English because my mind feels broken and my heart feels broken too. And if I could I'd find a way to leave this street behind and fly like a little bird. My eye is on the sparrow and not upon the junk yard culture that surrounds me.
xaniver
Disclaimer, I'm a huge fan of both Tim Roth and Cillian Murphy so the fact that they were both in this movie just made me all kinds of happy.There's something incredibly raw and real about British cinema. There's nothing glamorous about this story dealing with a neighborhood embroiled in all sorts of disputes on different levels of the social strata. Eloise Laurence just blew me away in her role as the precocious yet delightfully naive Skunk. Despite Roth's and Murphy's star-power, it was Laurence who stole the show.If you enjoy gritty family dramas on the darker side of the emotional spectrum, and are looking for something a little quirky and different, then I strongly recommend this film. In some ways it reminded me of Imaginary Heroes and The United States of Leland, but with a distinctly British personality.
Peter Pluymers
Don't be scared. I just want your goodness."Broken". I'm not sure yet what covers this title. Is it the broken relationships and mutual relations between the families living in this cul-de-sac. Is it about the fragile health of Skunk or the fragile state of mind of Rick. Or is it about the few broken noses that the hotheaded neighbor Bob hands out. From the first minute in this sad story, I was taken on a trip through several petty depressive states. Yes, you won't have "happy" feelings after watching this movie. However, the end is a godsend and a gorgeous display of hope.Every household has his cross to bear. In this dead end street they had end-of-season sales of heavy crosses. Let us hope that this is not a matter of course in most districts. First there's Skunk, whose mother left for some accountant, and her family. She lives with her father Archie (Superb acting by Tim Roth),her brother and their housekeeper under one roof . The housekeeper has an on-off relationship with a teacher who is full of doubts about the future of their relationship. Skunk also has diabetes that she follows meticulously. Opposite lives the Buckley family. An older couple with the mentally disabled son Rick. A friendly guy who, as you'll notice later, has a dark incalculable side. And then there is the aggressive and violent Mr. Oswald and his three teenage daughters. Bob Oswald's wife is deceased and the education of his three daughters is his greatest concern . However the morbid concern about the welfare of his daughters is the cause of the improper conduct of the 3 annoying buggers.Essentially, these three families have nothing in common and they show no affinity for each other (except Skunk vs. Rick), and yet their life paths will be intertwined in a drastic way which will lead to the resulting conflicts. The whole situation escalates because of one simple lie. A lie to cover up the truth and to prevent facing some measures. A lie that has disastrous consequences and brings the relationships even more to falter. Skunk her cheerful and carefree life collapses after witnessing an aggressive assault on the introvert and unworldly Rick. It's the beginning of a spiral of sequential disturbing events."Broken" is a gripping social drama and a depressing situation report. This shows once again that British dramas can be of a high level. The debut of Eloise Laurence as the vulnerable Skunk doesn't go unnoticed. A beautiful rendition that testifies a youthful spontaneity and empathy. The range of emotions that she has to show is not obvious , and yet she knows how to interpret it. I 'm not easily impressed by certain actors , but this was a brilliant performance .Tim Roth is a respected actor and known from the TV series "Lie to Me". However, I'm not a avid fan of TV shows . But his appearances in "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs" are well known to me. Roth has a kind of soothing, calm charisma. Sometimes he reminds me of a light version of James Bond with identical expressions like Steve Carell. That confident look and cool probing observation. An icy dispassionate attitude until that moment at the hospital sitting next to Skunk's bed and telling his dream again in an emotional way. Masterfully portrayed.I couldn't really find any faults when it's about the rest of the cast. Beautiful renditions piece by piece. The three pubescent teenage girls were playing in such a convincing way that you would consider to step up to those three brutal little twerps and put them in their place. Robert Emms should also be mentioned for his irresistible and not obvious rendition of Rick, the mentally handicapped neighbor. The impressive pity arousing beginning, the tormented and helpless attitude during his psychiatric confinement and the destructive frenzy at the end. All these aspects are brilliantly handled by him.Filmic it also looks worked out nicely by Rufus Norris. The sometimes straightforward images with that typical British tone and style that you can find in acclaimed British series like "EastEnders". The recurring flashbacks and dreamlike visions of the future are mixed with the daily harsh reality. Ultimately, the core of the film is scarier than any slasher or horror film. An impressive social story with a theatrical and, thank goodness, a positive ending.More reviews at http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be/
tr91
'Broken' is an excellent example of just how good British drama films/series can be when they are done right. The film is straight to the point and develops at a good pace with lots of different things going on between the various characters.There is a lot of characters in this film (3 different families who are all neighbours) and we see how their lives are affected by various going ons. This film really doesn't hold back, some of the scenes and subjects will be uncomfortable for some viewers. I really didn't like the Oswald family but the story really wouldn't have worked without them.I really liked how parts of this film where done, we would see something happen unexpectedly and then it would flashback to show the build up to it from a different perspective. The story linked together really well. It is very engaging although some parts are unrealistic.The acting in this film was nothing short of superb from everyone. There was a lot of familiar faces but the star of the show has to be Eloise Laurence who made her acting debut in the lead role as Skunk.It's a shame this film probably won't get the recognition it deserves due to it being relatively unheard of. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good dram film, you won't be disappointed.8/10.
