Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with our first test screening review for Anthony Minghella's newest film, BREAKING AND ENTERING starring Jude Law, Juliette Binoche and the great Martin Freeman. Honestly, that's why I want to see this movie at all... Martin Freeman. Most of Minghella's films leave me cold (sorry for the pun), but I respect his work. He's not a bad filmmaker by any means, just one that doesn't fully connect with me personally. Anyway, here's the review. It goes into some detail and has a few problems with the film... So, obligatory spoiler warning and reminder that this review comes from a test screening, so keep in mind that the film is still being shaped. Enjoy!
Whats up Harry,
I decided to skip some college midterm studying last night when I got a call about a screening for "Breaking and Entering," the Anthony Minghella film starring Jude Law and Juliette Binoche.
After barely making it in, I sat in the corner of the theater and watched the story unfold. First hearing Juliette Binoche's Bosnian accent made me giggle, but you get used to it, and eventually get drawn into it. She could have used a stronger first line though - to re-inforce the natural aspects of the accent. She does that soon after however by speaking in her native language, making her cultural background seem much more believable. She does, however, look gorgeous throughout. And you see titty. Actually, it's the innocent Juliette Binoche, let me rephrase that - you see breast.
Jude Law plays Will Francis, an architect specializing in instilling fake pseudo-natural aspects into a solid structural design, to fill empty space - an obvious metaphor for his attempt to find love in between the empty spaces of his solidly structured life with his now-incredibly fucking hot wife Robin Wright Penn, and his nutty lovable OCD child, Bea.
His new techy office gets targeted and repeatedly thieved up by Binoche's son, who develops as the movie does - starting as an amateur actor and becoming more believable as scenes progress - which seems to be the case for most characters. At the start, they seem as if they had just started filming - like their acting had not been fine-tuned. Better acting for the more shallow opening scenes would have more completed the film.
There are some hilarious anecdotes with a prostitute while Jude Law and Martin Freeman, from BBC's The Office, attempt to catch the local thiefs red-handed, and this pursuit develops into Jude Law's own personal journey to find love and what he feels is lacking from his wife, who seems to have no faith in him or his ability to raise one hell of a teenage girl.
Martin Freeman, for the parts that he is in, is great - he reminds you of The Office, providing little tiny amusing somethings in between the serious dialogue of Law and the other characters - all of which are soaked in emotional self-discovery.
Games begin to be played, as Law pursues the thief of his office back to his home, to find his beautiful mother, Binoche. He develops a relationship with Binoche, at first to pursue his son, but to later simply develop what he thinks is true love. Eventually, things escalate with the son, becoming aware of Law's presence in his household, and, more importantly, things escalate in Law's homelife, concerning his wife and his daughter, and his ability to care for both.
Certainly no Cold Mountain, and I don't smell any Oscar Buzz honestly - although Binoche was great at parts, and she really was gorgeous in this. Her character wasn't complete enough however to get a nod, especially the early development of her character.
The one great thing about the film which almost gives it an air of grace is the manner in which the teenage Muslim son of Binoche swings his way into his thefts, as well as practices his maneuvers throughout town. This playful nature of theft, along with having his maneuvers constantly mirrored in simple play (even in the playground with his mother, she asks him for a lesson on his acrobatic skills) - it shows how he views what he does, and how he can build from it. It also shows the union that brings him with this bad crowd almost - how he loves being recognized and rewarded for his grace - similar to Bea, the OCD daughter who is obsessed with gymnastics - constantly practicing - and refusing to sit in yellow rooms as well.
The home lives of Binoche and Robin Wright Penn run parallel, having lost their true husbands and doubting a new love with the seemingly forever-undecided Law. Both having troubled children, who coincidentally love gymnastics (a parallel that is never connected/developed), they need to choose wisely where they focus their attention and their hearts.
Overall it was pretty good - funny at the right points, and moved at a good pace. Originality seemed a bit lacking, and there were subtleties in the movie that could have been explained much more clearly.
If you use this, call me the Big Shmill, from New York, NY
